


The Book of Love

by SigmaLoveAndTriangleShipping



Category: South Park
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Car Sex, Character Death, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Homophobic Language, Hospitalization, Kenny's a little shit, Lots of Angst, M/M, Outdoor Sex, Pining, References to Depression, Self-Harm, Sorta kinda, Suicide Attempt, Supernatural Elements, Tweek is completely oblivious, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, and also very much in denial, and constantly worried about ruining everything, and i mean heavily hinted, and loosely plays off of the canon timeline, because Kenny is Kenny, because cartman is cartman, but he also cares a lot, character ages not specified, confident tweek, dark themes, haha remember when I said this was one sided Twenny pining?, hella buildup, hinted kyman, kind of?, kinda slow burn, mental breakdowns, mentions of drug abuse, non-established relationship, overall this isn't an angst story but like, sentimental craig, sexual awakenings, slight body worship, so technically yes, someone does die, takes place in the canon universe, there are unspecified time jumps so take that how you will, there is angst here so just be warned of that, there's definitely twenny here, they're not actually in the car but I guess it counts?, tweek is so confused, yeah about that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-01-31 01:01:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 59
Words: 117,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12665070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SigmaLoveAndTriangleShipping/pseuds/SigmaLoveAndTriangleShipping
Summary: When Tweek and Craig are suddenly thrust into a "relationship" for the town's amusement, Tweek if forced to face the confusing thoughts and feelings he's been having towards his friend. But when it comes to everyone either obsessing or sulking over them, perhaps pretending to be together isn't such a bad thing after all?That is, until Tweek realizes that maybe he's not pretending so much anymore.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's back from the dead! It's been so long since I've written anything at all, so it's really nice to get back into it with something new. If you happen to be here from ISYF, I apologize for kind of just dropping off the face of the Earth, but sadly my muse just sort of disappeared;; But now I've finally found a new one!
> 
> Recently I've gotten super into South Park, I've been binge watching through the series for a couple weeks now, and Tweek and Craig are of course the loves of my life. I started writing this fic in class one day just for the hell of it and because I was bored, but it became it's own project pretty quickly, and I finally decided that I'm gonna start posting it! It's obviously still in progress, and I'm not sure what my upload schedule's gonna be like, but I'll try not to take too long between chapters. 
> 
> This story is definitely going to have a loooooot of buildup, so if that's not your thing, you may want to reconsider before embarking on this adventure. But if it is and you decide to stick around, I'm very happy to have you along for the ride! Without further ado, here's the first chapter of my new fic, "The Book Of Love!" Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next one.
> 
> SLATS~

Tweek had always felt some sort of pull towards Craig. Even back when they fought constantly, those moments when they were pit against one another always seemed to make Tweek’s heart race a little bit faster than normal. Not because he actually hated or wanted to hurt Craig, but because the mere thought of seeing the older boy brought him this strange sense of elation.

He’d never experienced this kind of interest in another person before, so it had always been very confusing for him, to say the least. And in the beginning, that confusion quickly turned to frustration, only managing to aggravate they’re supposed dislike for one another even more. And once the school had lost interest in their fighting, Tweek’s confused feelings no longer had an outlet.

That was, until Craig approached him again one day.

Class had just ended, and Tweek was on his way back home when all of a sudden, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something; a figure moving abnormally close to him, as if walking in tandem. And that was when he realized that he was no longer walking alone. Startled, he couldn’t help but let out a small yelp as he jumped to the side, eyes going wide as he recognized the familiar face.

“Hey dude,” Craig said coolly, seemingly unphased by the blonde’s reaction. He was pretty much never phased by anything, something Tweek couldn’t even begin to relate to.

Unable to wrap his frantic thoughts around what was going on, and with that anxious excitement beginning to bubble in his stomach, Tweek simply stared at the other, unmoving as he waited for some kind of explanation. It had been weeks since the other kids had moved on from their “rivalry”, was Craig really planning to pick a fight with him again? No, something about this was different; the older boy’s demeanor wasn’t threatening in any way, and his passive gaze showed no hints of aggression or anger.

But if Craig wasn’t there to fight, then…what did he want?

“Do you wanna come hang out at my place?” The words were like a literal shock to Tweek, and he couldn’t keep his body from jolting back as he continued to stare at the other, mouth agape.

“W-what?” A few moments of silence passed before the younger finally spoke up in disbelief, convinced that there was no way he could have heard correctly. Why the hell would someone like Craig want to hang out with someone like him? Besides, didn’t he hate him? Was the other just trying to mess with him? Tweek’s thoughts began moving a mile a minute, and he could feel his left eye twitch as his anxiety began to spike.

“You. My place.” Craig’s expression didn’t change for even a second as he extended the invitation yet again, eyes staring intently into Tweek’s as if he could see right through them. His gaze jumbled the blonde’s paranoid thoughts, and Tweek found himself wondering if Craig could hear the frantic beating of his heart.

What the hell was wrong with him?

By this point, Tweek knew very well that anyone else would have just given up and left. Most of the other kids avoided him because of his weird behavior, and he was no stranger to being thought of as a freak. But for some reason he couldn’t begin to comprehend, Craig didn’t budge. The younger’s nervous demeanor didn’t seem to bother him at all, and if Tweek didn’t know any better, he would have thought the other didn’t even notice. But he knew that was impossible, so the next best thing was that Craig simply didn’t care enough to be bothered by it.

Without realizing that he’d zoned out, Tweek was snapped back to reality as the other turned on his heel and began walking yet again. At first he assumed that Craig was leaving, a sudden rush of panic surging through his body as he opened his mouth to call him back. But just as he was about to shout out, a quick glance back from the boy in front of him made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Well come on, don’t just stand there,” Craig spoke the words as if they were the most natural thing in the world, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he gazed back at the blonde, “You coming or what?” With that he turned around yet again, and before Tweek could even think about what he was doing, he found himself trotting anxiously at Craig’s heels.

From that moment on, things between them had been different.

As the days went by, the two began seeing each other more and more, hanging out whenever they could find the time. Tweek would often go over to Craig’s place after school on days when he didn’t have to help out at his parents shop, and even when he did have to work, Craig would sometimes drop by to visit him when business was slow. It became a general rule of thumb that if you were to see one of them, the other would most definitely be nearby, to the point that it was pretty much expected that they come as a package deal.

When their newfound friendship first began to make its way around the school, some of the other students took it upon themselves to try and make fun of Craig for hanging out with someone as “spastic and weird” as Tweek. They very quickly realized that this was a bad idea.

Nonchalant middle fingers and “fuck offs” eventually began to escalate, and there were even several occasions when Craig hadn’t been shy about punching some kids square in the mouth when they happened to say something particularly nasty about the blonde.

At first, Tweek didn’t know how to respond at all; Craig was being sent to the office twice as much for getting into fights, and the younger couldn’t help but feel like it was all his fault. After all, none of it would have even been happening if the other hadn’t started hanging out with him in the first place, right?

But even so, the guilt was gradually outweighed by a strange sense of pride. No one had even taken the time to get close to him before, let alone stand up for him when people tried to trash talk him. It made Tweek…happy, to say the least. He didn’t like that Craig was getting into so much trouble, but the fact that the older boy was _willing_ to get in trouble for him was oddly exhilarating. He often wondered why the other seemed to care so much for him, but he could never actually bring himself to ask.

And as the weeks continued on, it became very clear to the other children that saying _anything_ bad about Tweek in Craig’s presence was a surefire way to get sent to the nurse’s office with a broken nose. That fear alone was enough to quell their attempts at bullying the younger, until eventually it stopped altogether. For this, Tweek was forever grateful.

As things finally began to die down and go back to normal, their friendship was left to grow unhindered, and everything continued normally for quite some time.

That was, until the unthinkable happened.


	2. Undone

All of the children were ushered into the auditorium for some type of assembly; usually Tweek and Craig waited at the door so that they could sit next to one another, but as the jumbled mess of students rushed in, it became clear to the blonde that he would simply have to take his seat alone. Being without the older boy always seemed to make him feel twitchier than normal, and he couldn’t help but fidget in his spot as he sat on one of the bleachers.

Blue eyes scanned around the sea of faces in search of his friend, only to realize that he was actually sitting a few people away, with only Stan and Kyle between them. As much as he wanted to ask to switch places with one of them, it at least made him feel a bit better to know that Craig was close by.

It wasn’t until the other glanced over that Tweek realized he was staring, cheeks tinting red as the boy flashed him a grin and gave a small wave. The younger waved back before quickly averting his eyes as if to pretend he hadn’t been doing anything out of the ordinary, hands wringing anxiously in his lap as he tried to focus on something else.

The loud voice that came through the speakers startled him, making him jump in his seat as his eyes snapped to the middle of the room where a presentation had been set up. A quick introduction told Tweek that this was apparently a celebration of some artwork created by the new Asian students that had recently come to the school.

He listened to the class president, Wendy, continue with the explanation, although his mind began to wander almost immediately; the blonde often found it hard to focus on anything due to his sporadic thought process, so keeping his attention on something tended to be a rather difficult task. Well, except when it came to Craig, of course.

It wasn’t until he heard him and Craig’s names being spoken that his eyes snapped back to the projector, and what he saw made his heart nearly stop in his chest. There, displayed right on the screen for everyone to see, was a drawing of the two of them, lips pressed together tenderly. Tweek’s brain completely short-circuited as he stared at it, jaw falling open as a familiar rush of panic surged within him.

“W-what?!” He shouted out, face suddenly feeling as if it were on fire as his body twitched nervously. What the hell was this!? Why did one of the Asian girls draw—?

“Kelly Zhou goes a bit more whimsical with ‘Craig and Tweek, Moonlight Dance.’” Another drawing of the two flashed onto the screen, this time with Tweek wrapped up in some sort of ribbon as Craig gazed at him affectionately. By this point, the blonde’s mouth couldn’t even seem to form words at all, eyes practically popping out of his head as they shot over to look at his friend.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Craig spat out as he stared at the image as well, brow furrowing as a mix of anger and confusion washed over his features. Clearly he had no idea what was going on either, green eyes shifting over to meet with wide blues, a look within them as if he were imploring the younger for some kind of explanation. Tweek shook his head frantically, trying to make it as clear as possible that he didn’t understand the situation either.

Wendy continued on with what they could only assume were more drawings, but neither of them were paying attention anymore, eyes glued to one another as if silently searching for answers. They stayed that way until the bell rang, signaling that class was about to begin again, and even then they only tore their gazes from one another when the other students began to rise and clear out. They didn’t speak a word as they exited out into the hallway, although Tweek could feel the older boy watching him as he rushed for the nearest bathroom, quickly trying to escape the awkward situation.

And just like that, the friendship they’d worked so hard to build came crashing on its head.

The confused feelings Tweek had been trying so desperately to push down came flaring back ten-fold, once again morphing into anger and frustration. But it wasn’t as if he were truly angry with Craig; in fact, it was more of a self-hatred than anything, because he suddenly found himself thinking that maybe…well, maybe those drawing’s weren’t so bad after all. More than anything, though, he was worried that he would get in trouble if his parents found out about the whole ordeal, because everyone at school was now going around talking about him being gay.

But the worst part of the whole thing was that Craig suddenly seemed to have some sort of vendetta against him, and within a day they were back at each other’s throats, as if all of the progress they’d made in their relationship was for nothing.

For the first time in a very long time, Tweek felt completely isolated. The one person that he’d come to trust and rely on had turned on him, just like everyone else, and that pain was worse than anything else he could have possibly suffered.

From that moment on, every time they saw one another ended up in a fight; it hurt Tweek to no end to go against his best friend, but Craig’s sudden blatant hatred for him really left him no choice. But soon the pain became too much for the blonde, his mind rapidly becoming consumed by anxiety and depression, and he began avoiding Craig entirely to keep from breaking down in front of everyone.

Home was no better, especially considering his parent’s overbearing support for his new “relationship.” Tweek spent most of his time holed up in his room, trying his best to focus his attention on mind-numbing activities, and refusing to come out unless he needed to use the bathroom or get more coffee. The night’s, however, were the worst of all. He was never much for sleeping, but things had gotten much more severe since everything had happened; he lay awake each night, staring blankly up at his ceiling as his thoughts filled with the one person he was trying so desperately to forget.

“It’s over,” Tweek thought to himself, chest becoming impossibly tight as he clutched weakly at the front of his shirt, “Things are never gonna be the same again.”

As those words crossed through his mind, a heavy feeling washed over him, as if a huge weight were being pressed down on his body. It became harder to breathe, the boy’s vision blurring as a strange noise began to fill the room. It was quiet at first, gradually growing louder and louder as a warm feeling washed over his cheeks. That was when he realized that it was his own voice he was hearing, and as he reached up to touch his face, he was surprised to find the tips of his fingers wet.

He was crying, soft sobs filling the silent space of his room.

Tweek could count on one hand the number of times he’d ever actually cried over anything, so this definitely came as a shock to him. Was he really crying…over Craig? An image of the older boy flashed into his mind at that moment, and that was the breaking point; he could no longer hold himself back anymore. Pulling the covers over his head, the boy curled in on himself as he buried his face into the pillow, small frame shaking uncontrollably as he allowed himself to come undone.

That was the first night in months that Tweek found himself falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Too Much Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys have been enjoying the story so far! Every time I check my email and see that I got more kudos or comments, it really does make my day :) I honestly wasn't expecting so many people to find this fic so quickly, so I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's been taking the time to read it! Originally I had these scenes broken up into two separate chapters, but I decided to put them together so this one's a little bit longer than usual.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you're all having great days/night, and I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter! Until next time!
> 
> SLATS~

The next day, things took a surprising turn once again. The weekend had finally come, and Tweek was holed up in his room as usual, trying desperately to calm his frayed nerves by building random structures out of legos. This time, however, the monotonous activity did nothing to alleviate his frantic thoughts. Today his anxiety was more overwhelming than usual, to the point that his hands were shaking too much to even connect the blocks.

Deciding that it was no use, the blonde tossed the plastic pieces aside in a fit of frustration, head falling into his hands as he tried to slow his rapid breaths. The sound of his door latching back into place caught his attention, eyes shooting open once more as he spun around to face the intruder. His parents would normally always knock before coming in, so it didn’t make sense for them to waltz in unannounced. Not that they really cared about their son’s wellbeing enough to check on him anyways; they probably hadn’t even noticed that he’d been acting any differently.

Instead of his parents, though, his wide gaze landed on the _last_ person he expected to see.

“No, no!” Tweet shouted as he jumped from his seat, shrinking towards the other side of the room when the familiar boy tried to approach him, “What are you doing here?!” He couldn’t keep the panic from seeping into his voice, eye twitching and hands shaking as he cowered back, assuming the other was there to fight with him again.

He’d been avoiding Craig for days, why now? Why at his house, of all places?

But as it turned out, that wasn’t why Craig was there at all.

“We have to come out and say we’re gay,” The older boy said matter-of-factly as he tried to approach the blonde once again, only to have him move frantically in the opposite direction.

What the hell was he talking about? Why would he even suggest something like that? Unable to comprehend what Craig’s intentions were, Tweek began to voice his concerns, only to be cut off as the other grasped the collar of his shirt and yanked him forward. The younger had been so focused on his own panic that he hadn’t even noticed when Craig began to close the distance between them, and now that they were standing face to face, it was as if all of his thoughts came to a screeching halt.

He knew that Craig was still talking, but he wasn’t really listening anymore; something about how a break-up would solve their problems.

But instead of his words, Tweek’s attention was drawn to something else entirely.

Suddenly very aware of just how close they were to one another, blue eyes dropped to the other’s lips, watching absently as Craig continued to speak. A strange twisting filled his stomach, and he was suddenly filled with the urge to tear the older boy’s hands away and push him back in a desperate attempt to force some space between them.

What was going on with him?

Before Tweek got the chance to do anything, though, he was tuned back into Craig’s words when he realized the other was suggesting that they _stage_ a break-up.

“I-I’m a terrible actor!” The blonde responded in a fit of panic, eyes darting around the room as he tried to look at something, anything else. If things continued on like this, he wasn’t sure how much more of it he could take; he needed space and he needed it _fast_ , otherwise…well, he didn’t really know what would happen, but something told him it wouldn’t be good.

“You just follow my lead and try and make it believable, okay?” Craig said coolly, moving so that the younger was forced to look directly into his eyes. He probably meant it to be a reassuring gesture, but it didn’t help to calm Tweek down in the slightest, only managing to make things worse. But he of course didn’t notice, not seeming to be bothered by their proximity in the slightest. That fact only made the blonde more nervous; why was _he_ the only one who ever had reactions like this?

“O-oh god, okay!” Resolve finally breaking, Tweek agreed to the plan, if only in the hopes that it would finally get the other to leave. Having Craig this close for this long was making it harder to breath, and the temperature in the room was becoming unbearable. It felt like all of the walls were closing in on him, as if he were trapped, and he was sure that if he didn’t get the boy out of his room within the next few seconds, he was going to have a panic attack.

Thankfully, his agreement was all Craig seemed to need to be satisfied, and with that he took his leave. As soon as the door was shut, the soft sound of footsteps padding down the stairs, Tweek dropped to his knees with several loud, deep breaths. Hands clutching absently at his hair, the boy squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying his best to wrap his thoughts around everything that had just happened.

“What the hell have a gotten myself into?” He groaned loudly, the image of Craig’s face so close to his practically burned into his brain.

If one thing was for sure, Tweek knew that when Monday came, things were going to get a lot more interesting.

* * *

 

Unable to sleep for most of the weekend, when the dreaded day rolled around, Tweek found his anxiety running on high. Craig was of course acting as normal as ever, but having to wait through the school day was absolute torture for the blonde. He could feel his heart beating hard in his chest as he walked toward their meeting place; the time for their plan to come to fruition was finally at hand.

Trying his best to keep his shaking under control, Tweek began to make his way past the steps where all of the Asian girls normally hung out, listening intently as a pair of footsteps began to approach him from behind. “Okay, this is it,” He thought to himself, taking a deep breath as he allowed his eyes to fall closed, “I just have to follow his lead, and then all of this will be over.” No more rumors, no more pictures; after it all stopped, would Craig come back? Would he be his friend again?

As Tweek opened his eyes once more, the reality of the situation suddenly began to dawn on him. Craig had turned on him, made him feel outcast and hated…all because of those stupid pictures? Was that really what all of this had been about? All of the depression and anxiety, the pain he’d gone through…Craig hadn’t even apologized for any of it when he’d proposed this “plan” of his. Was the idea of them being together so terrible and disgusting that he had to turn his hatred on the younger, someone who was supposed to be his friend? He didn’t care about how Tweek felt at all…he only cared about himself!

“Hey Tweek,” An ice cold jolt shot through the blonde’s body as the familiar voice called out to him, effectively stopping him in his tracks, “Hold up!”

Turning to face the source of the noise, his blue eyes landed on the very boy he was expecting to see. But as their gazes met, something inside of him changed; it was as if all of his feelings were ignited at once, taking over his mind to the point that he couldn’t think straight. All Tweek could feel was the hurt that Craig had caused him over the past weeks, and that hurt turned to rage in a matter of seconds.

Instead of sticking with their original plan of ending the relationship on mutual terms, he suddenly lashed out at the other with everything he had, all of his emotions pouring out into some made up story about how Craig had been cheating on him. He barely even noticed the crowd that had gathered around them, all of the other children watching on in shock; Craig’s own expression had morphed into one of confusion and slight panic, clearly having no idea what was going on anymore.

The older boy immediately tried to get Tweek to take back what he was saying, but he was too far gone by that point, not even really remembering what they were supposed to be doing in the first place. No, instead his true feelings began to come out full-force, head swirling with nothing but all of the hurtful things Craig had said and done to him recently.

“You…you just step on people and you use them!” Tweek’s words were laced with venom as he spat them at the other, a warm feeling suddenly pricking at his eyes as his vision began to blur, just as it had the other night.

“Dude, you’re going too far, this is totally not necessary.” Craig’s voice was now desperate as he tried to get the younger to stop, not understanding what was happening in the slightest. As Tweek stared into the green eyes before him, he could have sworn that he saw a genuine look of concern flash through them, as if the realization that he was actually crying gave the other pause.

“I’m going too far? What is wrong with you!?” The look he was getting only caused him to lash out more, and he turned to the side in an attempt to escape it. There was no way that Craig actually cared now, after everything that had happened.

No…he probably never even cared to begin with.

Had Tweek just been fooling himself this whole time? Was all of the time they’d spent together fake? If the other really _had_ been his friend, there’s no way he would have turned on him so easily, it just didn’t make sense. He knew from the very beginning that there was no way someone like Craig would care about someone like him. Not even his own parents cared about him.

“I was totally wrong about you…” Tweek spoke softly, gaze falling to the floor as he felt tears begin to slide down his cheeks, “I opened myself up and let you in…but you’ve got spikes, man. You’ve got spikes.”

As he finished, the blonde suddenly became very aware of all of the people standing around them. He could feel dozens of pairs of eyes latched onto him, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he frantically wiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He turned and walked away without another word, desperate to get away from everything; as he exited through the main door, he didn’t stop to speak to anyone, not even caring as raindrops began to wash over him from above.

Tweek shut and locked his door as soon as he made it to his bedroom, wanting to completely shut out the rest of the world for a while. He fell back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling blankly, mind completely void of all thoughts for once. He felt hollow and exhausted, still in complete disbelief that he’d broken down in front of everyone like that. That hadn’t been a part of the plan at all, and he knew well enough that making Craig out to be a manipulative cheater wasn’t right, but once the words had started pouring out of him he just couldn’t stop them.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there in silence, gaze unfocused as he stared up at nothing in particular. The room had grown dark, although Tweek wasn’t sure whether it was because it was getting late or because of the storm; thunder rumbled lowly from above, the wind whipping by his window and the pouring rain being the only sounds filling the room. Everything felt terrible, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up under the covers and sleep until things didn’t hurt anymore.

Until they made sense again.


	4. Apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just wanted to make a quick note and say that this chapter is where things start to diverge from the canon timeline, because I wrote these scenes a bit differently for obvious reasons. And I also wanted to thank you all for your continued support, it really does mean so much to me to see people enjoying the fic! You're all awesome and I'm so glad to have you along <3
> 
> I'll be kind of busy this weekend, so it might be a few days before I'm able to post again. But I'll try not to take too long, promise. Anyways, I hope you're all having good days/nights, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! See ya in the next one!
> 
> SLATS~

The next day came and went, and the one after that as well. Tweek stayed in his room, not caring that he was missing school; he couldn’t face the other students after what had happened anyways, and he definitely couldn’t face Craig.

So instead he stayed in bed, dozing in and out of a restless sleep as the hours ticked by. On average he didn’t really ever get much sleep because of his paranoia and coffee addiction, but over the past two days, he found that he’d been spending more of his time asleep than he had been awake. He hadn’t even had a cup of coffee since Monday morning, which was definitely causing him to feel much more sluggish and run down than he should have.

The soft sound of the door opening and closing met with his ears, although he didn’t really register what it was in his hazed state. He heard footsteps padding lightly across the floor, but didn’t care enough to look back and see who they belonged to, instead continuing to lay with his back to the intruder.

“Hey dude,” A familiar greeting called out from behind, a shadow falling over him as the figure stopped at the side of the bed. Tweek knew very well who the voice belonged to, but even that wasn’t enough to get him to budge, tired eyes staring blankly at the wall ahead.

“Listen, about the other day—”

“I’m sorry.” The younger finally spoke up, voice small and quiet, “I…I went too far, and I shouldn’t have said those things about you. I-I’m sorry.”

A strange silence fell over them at that, the seconds that ticked by seemingly unending as Tweek waited for the other to say something. Finally, Craig let out a deep sigh, the edge of the bed dipping and finally managing to draw the blonde’s attention when he realized that the older boy was sitting next to him.

“Tweek…” The soft sound of his name being called out gave him pause, blue eyes glancing over his shoulder to see that Craig’s gaze was cast down, hands clasped in his lap. “You…meant those things you said back there, didn’t you?”

Tweek simply stared for a moment, eyes slowly growing wise as the meaning of the other's words began to dawn on him. “N-no!” He shot up in his spot, voice panicked as he began to stumble all over his words, “Th-that’s not…I-I was just trying to—!”

“I know acting when I see it, Tweek,” Craig interrupted, effectively cutting the blonde off, “And I think we both know that wasn’t acting.”

Lips parted wordlessly, Tweek’s mind blanked as he tried to come up with some sort of excuse, but it was no use. He knew that what Craig said was true, and anything he tried to say otherwise would be an obvious lie. He was never a very good liar to begin with, and when it came to Craig, it was like the older boy could always just see right through him.

The heavy air that hung over them was slowly driving Tweek insane; if the other knew the truth, what did that mean for them? Why was he there? If he were to find out all of the confused feelings Tweek had been trying so desperately to keep hidden, things would be over for sure, he just knew it.

The blonde’s stomach began to sink the more these thoughts crossed into his mind, hands wringing nervously in his lap in an attempt to calm their incessant shaking.

“Dude, calm down,” The fear must have been evident on his face, because Craig’s words were soft and reassuring, a warm hand placed firmly on his shoulder to grab the younger's attention, “I’m not here to fight with you, it’s okay.”

Wait, Craig didn’t hate him? He wasn’t there to fight? But then…what was he there for?

As if reading his mind, the older boy continued on with his explanation, green eyes gazing cooly into wide blues. “I wanted to apologize too, for…well, everything, I guess. I didn’t realize I was making you feel that way, and I’m sorry.”

Their eyes refusing to stray from one another, the younger couldn’t help but be surprised as he tried to wrap his head around everything. Was Craig really apologizing? To _him_? Did he realize how much he’d been hurting?

“It’s okay,” Tweek said quietly, gaze finally straying as he glanced down to his lap, “You didn’t—”

“No, it’s not okay.” Craig spoke firmly, effectively managing to stun the other into silence, “You’re my friend and I shouldn’t have turned my back on you like that. I was just so frustrated with everything, and well…I didn’t stop to think about how you might have felt.”

“Alone,” The word slipped past Tweek’s lips before he even realized, eyes refusing to meet the other’s as a feeling of timidness and self-loathing came over him, “I-I felt…alone.”

“I don’t want to make you feel that way,” Craig sighed, shifting in his spot so that Tweek was forced to look at him again. But instead of continuing, the older boy simply stared at him for a moment, a look within his eyes as if he had something to say, but was reluctant to. The blonde fidgeted in his spot under the intense gaze, wondering what exactly could be going through the other’s mind; he was just about to ask when Craig spoke again, his next words completely derailing the younger’s train of thought.

“I think we need to get back together.”

The words repeating in his mind, Tweek simply blinked for a moment, stunned into silence as he tried to comprehend what he’d just heard. There was…no way he’d heard that right. Or even if he had, he must have just been misinterpreting the situation, right?

Staring at the older boy in disbelief, Tweek let out an awkward laugh, figuring that it must have just been some sort of weird joke. But the intense look in Craig’s eyes didn’t waver, and that was when the blonde realized that his friend was dead serious.

“W-what?!” Tweek shouted in confusion, the panic clear on his face, “Th-that doesn’t make any sense Craig, that’s not going to—!”

“Just hear me out on this dude,” Craig placed his hands on the other’s shoulder, a gesture that over time he’d found was able to stop the boy’s frantic ranting almost instantly; actually, any form of physical contact usually worked. “You haven’t been to school the past few days, so you haven’t seen what our break up’s done to the town. Everyone’s been miserable ever since, Tweek. Normally I couldn’t care less, but as it turns out, having everyone mope around all the time is much more annoying than them fawning over us.

“Besides,” Green eyes softened at that, hands sliding down a bit to rest on the other’s forearms, “I don’t want to fight with you anymore. If we just make a display in front of the town and _act_ like we got back together, we can go back to hanging out like we normally do. They’re not gonna know the difference.”

Tweek listened closely to the older boy’s words, thoughts racing as he ran the scenario through his mind; if what Craig said was true, and the town really was devastated over what had happened, then it didn’t seem like such a bad idea for them to pretend to be back together. Besides, if they were able to spend time together again, who cared what the rest of the town thought? They’d more than likely just move their attention on to something else in a couple weeks anyways, just like they always did.

But then again, the thought of having to keep up an act in front of everyone, even if only for a short amount of time, was enough to make Tweek’s stomach flutter nervously. He’d already been struggling so much with all of these strange, confusing feelings towards Craig; if they had to actually _pretend_ to be together, wouldn’t that just make things worse? And what if Craig actually found out what was going on in his head? What if he messed up and ruined everything? Tweek wasn’t sure how well he’d handle it if the other distanced himself again, or even if he’d be able to handle it at all.

“I…I don’t know…” Gaze falling, Tweek stared down at nothing in particular as he thought over everything, trying his best to figure out what the best course of action would be; either be miserable now and try to work through it, or go back to the way things were and risk being hurt even more in the future. He knew well enough that he wanted to be with Craig, and he also knew that he didn’t want to be in pain anymore, but what if something like this were to happen all over again? What would he do then?

“That’s okay,” Craig responded after a moment, words drawing the blonde’s attention again as he looked back up in surprise, “You don’t have to give me an answer right now. Just think about it, okay? And if you decide you want to do it, you know where to find me.” With that the older boy stood up and smoothed out his jacket before making his way over to the door, clearly not intending to push the topic any further.

“Oh, and Tweek,” Pausing as he went to step out into the hallway, Craig looked back at the other over his shoulder, subtle hints of a smile playing at the edge of his lips, “It’s good to see you again.” He stepped out without another word, shutting the door behind him and leaving the younger to watch after him with wide, shocked eyes.

The way he’d said those words…maybe Tweek was thinking too much into it, but it sounded like Craig might have actually missed him.

The blonde immediately tried to push the thought from his mind, but no matter how much he wanted to deny it, the idea that Craig actually wanted him around again made his heart skip a beat.

Maybe…this wouldn’t be such a bad thing, after all.


	5. Together Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick heads up but this chapter has slight spoilers for "Put it Down", so if you haven't seen that episode yet you might want to watch it before reading! And I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter!
> 
> SLATS~

When the next day came, Tweek knew what he needed to do.

His feet padded softly along the concrete, blue eyes glued to the sidewalk ahead as he made his way through town. This was the first time in several days that the blonde had actually ventured out of his house; the chill that hung in the air was familiar and refreshing, but it didn’t do much to slow his rapid heartbeat. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous, the idea of what he was about to do playing over and over in his mind.

Was this really the right thing to do? Was he making the right choice? His anxiety slowly began to morph into self-doubt as he pressed forward, and Tweek found himself wondering if maybe he should turn back. But before he could continue with that train of thought any longer, he saw him. Standing a few feet ahead was the boy he’d been looking for, clad in that familiar blue hat and jacket. Their eyes met, and suddenly it no longer mattered whether this was the right choice or not.

The younger watched as Craig stuck his hand out to the side, subtly motioning for him to come forward, and Tweek knew very well what the other was urging him to do.

Well, it was now or never.

Despite the mess of emotions whirling around in his chest, for once Tweek appeared calm on the outside. He looked back and forth between green eyes and the open hand being offered to him, knowing very well what he needed to do. No, what he _wanted_ to do.

Finally he took a deep breath and stepped forward, slipping his own hand into Craig’s without another thought and grasping it tightly. The two simply looked at one another wordlessly for a moment, silent affirmation passing between them as their fingers laced together.

They began walking forward again, side by side as they made their way through the streets with no particular goal in mind. Tweek could feel eyes on them, hear peoples’ cheering voices, but it was as if the whole town simply faded away; as he focused on the feeling of Craig’s hand in his own, nothing around them seemed to matter anymore. It was warm and calming and _grounding_ , and for the first time in a very long time, Tweek felt like nothing in the world could get to him. He felt safe.

He wasn’t sure how long they walked around aimlessly for, openly displaying their “affection” for the rest of the town to ogle and coo at. It wasn’t until they started approaching the familiar row of houses that Tweek was brought back to reality, steps slowing as they neared his home.

“Hey,” The blonde finally came to a stop, drawing the other’s attention as he motioned towards his front door, “D-do you wanna come in for a while…? We can play games or something.” As much as he tried to make the idea sound low-key, Tweek couldn’t keep the hopeful tone from seeping into his voice, gaze shifting away as a feeling of timidness came over him. His eagerness was painfully obvious, and he knew that Craig had to have noticed it, only managing to embarrass him further; thankfully the other didn’t say anything, even if he was aware of it.

“Sure dude, I’d like that.” A small smile fell to the older boy’s lips, and as they looked at one another, Tweek couldn’t help but smile back.

With that, the two made their way inside, allowing themselves to forget about the outside world for a while; they played video games through the rest of the day, talking and simply enjoying each other’s company like they usually did.

It seemed that things could finally go back to normal.

Even if the whole town now thought that they were dating, to Tweek everything felt right again. At first it was really weird to get used to, being put up on a pedestal and having everyone’s attention on them. Tweek was never very good under pressure, so having so many expectations pushed onto him at once was beyond stressful. But even so, having Craig by his side again made a world of difference, and he was surprised to find that things were becoming much easier to cope with. And as the days passed by, people began to take less and less of an interest in their relationship, just as he’d expected.

They still kept up pretenses when they were around others, of course; holding hands when they were out in public, going to events together, stuff like that. Craig had even taken to calling him pet names when they were around their friends, like “honey” and “babe”, and had made a habit of putting his arm around the younger when they sat together.

As much as Tweek tried to ignore it, he couldn’t deny the fact that those moments made his heart flutter; he still didn’t quite understand what he was feeling towards Craig, but if one thing was for sure, the shift in their relationship definitely hadn’t done anything to help with his confusion.

And as the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months, things only kept getting worse. Their relationship was thriving, and while anyone else would have probably seen that as a good thing, to Tweek it was an absolute disaster.

The lines between what was real and what wasn’t were starting to blur, and it was making him nervous to no end. He often caught himself thinking of Craig as if the other really _was_ his boyfriend, and was forced to remind himself that they weren’t _actually_ dating, regardless of what everyone else thought.

It definitely didn’t help that Craig _himself_ was making it harder and harder to remember the reality of their situation. After the first month or so of their new “relationship”, the pet names and subtle displays of affection didn’t stop even once they made it behind closed doors.

The older boy still held his hand, kept an arm around him, addressed him sweetly; and worst of all, Tweek didn’t try to stop him. He figured that over time, those things had just become a force of habit for Craig, and he’d gotten so used to doing them that he would forget he didn’t need to when they were alone. But even when the blonde realized it was happening he just continued to play into it, allowing himself to live in the delusion that maybe, just maybe those gestures weren’t so fake after all. He didn’t want them to be, and that realization was hard to come to terms with.

And with it came fear.

The fear that he would slip up, that Craig would find out the things he’d been feeling; if that were to ever happen, Tweek convinced himself beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would ruin everything. So he kept his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself, not wanting to even risk screwing up what they had, fake or not. But even that fear wasn’t enough to hold his feelings at bay, and the more time they spent together, the more those feelings continued to grow.

And then came the whole ordeal with North Korea.

Tweek was already beyond paranoid about the political climate surrounding the country, so when the president started tweeting about him directly, his mental wellbeing spiraled into an absolute disaster. At first he kept trying to go to Craig for support, but it quickly became clear that the other couldn’t give him what he needed.

Craig had always been a very logical person, so when Tweek would panic and freak out, he would try to help in the only way he knew how. But to the blonde, having everyone tell him that he was just over reacting only made things worse; he and Craig got into an argument at one point, and that was the first time he’d ever seen his friend lose control of his own emotions. He was always so calm and collected, so seeing him lash out came as quite a shock to the younger, especially considering _he_ was the one to cause it.

It made him feel scared and alone, like no one would ever understand how he felt; it was like his emotions only ever made people uncomfortable or angry, so they tried everything in their power to just ignore them and make him feel like he was being irrational. That was the way his parents and peers had always been, but he’d just learned to live with it; getting it from Craig, though, was a completely different story.

Eventually Tweek resorted to the only tactic he had left: holing up in his room and shutting himself off from the rest of the world. What was the point of even going to school if no one wanted him around anyways? If they were all going to tell him that he was just being overly dramatic? It seemed that not even Craig wanted to deal with him anymore, so he figured the best thing he could do was simply stay out of everyone’s way and try to deal with things himself.

That was when the next big shift in their relationship occurred.

When Craig showed up in the middle of the day, the younger assumed it was to tell him that he was overreacting again and try to bring him back to school. But as it turned out, that wasn’t what he wanted at all; in fact, it was the exact opposite. Instead of trying to denounce Tweek’s feelings, the other asked him to talk about them Instead of trying to problem solve, he encouraged the younger to come up with his own solution.

As soon as Tweek realized what his friend was trying to do, it was as if he suddenly saw Craig in a completely different light.

No one had ever truly cared about how he felt, let alone taken the time to try and help him through his emotional turmoil. And not only had Craig been there for him when he needed it, but when the older boy realized his method hadn’t been working, he went out of his way to figure out what _would_ work. He helped convince Tweek to write a song about his situation and play it for the whole school, even going as far as to agree to sing along with him. They even managed to gain the assistance of the other students and make them a part of it as well, much to the blonde's surprise.

It was then that he realized just how thankful he was to have someone like Craig in his life. Someone who would be by his side and support him no matter what. And at the end of their big performance at school, as they stood hand in hand on that stage with the choir fading behind them, Tweek knew that he couldn’t deny it anymore.

He was completely, hopelessly in love with this boy.

And that realization was terrifying.


	6. Anything for You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know this chapter is a bit shorter than what you're used to, but the next one is gonna be a bit longer, so it sort of evens out. I mainly just spaced it this way because it worked better pacing wise. Next chapter should be up sometime tomorrow night, so you won't have to wait too long!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all like the new chapter! And as always, I hope everyone is having a great day/night! Thanks again so much for all of your continued support <3
> 
> SLATS~

From that moment on, Craig was his anchor. His freak outs began happening less and less, but even when they did, the other would sit and help him talk through his feelings until they came up with a solution, no matter how long it took.

At times he would still try to give quick answers to Tweek’s problems, but as soon as he realized it wasn’t working he would immediately switch his tactics, and the blonde knew that he was trying his best to understand.

Talking about his feelings was something that Craig was by no means used to, a behavior that Tweek figured has been instilled into him by his family, most likely his father. So whenever the older boy did get upset over something, he would simply go quiet and pretend to brush it off, instead deciding to bottle his frustrations up and try to ignore them.

Over time though, Tweek began to recognize the signs more and more; it didn’t happen often, but when the other did get upset over something, to anyone else it would have been difficult to tell the difference. But whenever he did notice Craig falling into those familiar patterns, he would try his best to make him feel better in whatever way he could, just as the other always did for him.

So when he showed up to his friend’s house one day to find him sitting quietly at the dining room table, eyes downcast and fingers drumming absently on the tabletop, he knew that something was up.

“C-Craig?” He called out softly, pulling out the adjacent chair to take a seat, “Is everything alright? I haven’t heard from you all day.”

“Oh, hey dude,” The other’s voice was a bit lower than normal, another clear sign that something was on his mind, “Sorry, I’ve just been busy.” He didn’t even look up as he spoke, head resting in his hand as he continued to rap his fingers against the wood beneath. He was trying to avoid the question, only further confirming Tweek’s suspicions.

“Craig,” The younger spoke out again as he shifted a bit closer, their gazes finally meeting as he grabbed the other’s attention, “I-I can tell when something’s wrong, you know. It’s okay, you can talk to me.”

Craig simply looked back at him in silence for a moment, a conflicted look in his eyes as if he wasn’t sure whether or not he should say anything. But after a few seconds he let out a defeated sigh, the telltale sign that he was actually willing to talk about what was going on.

“It’s Stripe.”

Uh oh. As soon as those words left the older boy’s lips, Tweek knew the severity of the situation. He’d never seen Craig care about something as much as he cared about his guinea pig, so if something had happened to it, he knew that the other would be devastated. And just as he’d feared, it seemed that the worst had come to pass.

“He…he died last night.” His voice strained as if he had trouble forcing the words out, solemn gaze once again glued to the table below. Tweek could feel his stomach sink as he watched his friend’s expression cloud over, one of his hands coming up to rest gently on the boy’s forearm.

“Oh Craig, I...I-I’m so sorry…” Although the other didn’t explicitly show it, the blonde knew how much pain he had to have been in. Tweek wasn’t really sure what he could do to help in this situation, or even if he could help at all; but if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that whenever Craig was hurting, he wanted nothing more than to help take the pain away. And he would do anything to make that happen.

“There’s nothing I can do about it now…it just is what it is.” A few moments of silence passed before Craig let out another deep sigh, the atmosphere around them very heavy as he glanced at the younger out of the corner of his eye, “I appreciate you coming to check on me, Tweek, but…I kind of just want to be alone for a bit.”

“It’s okay, I get it,” The blonde gave an understanding nod before slowly rising from his seat, knowing that trying to stick around if Craig wanted time to himself wasn’t going to help anything. “But…j-just know that I’m here if you need me, okay?” He slid his hand along the others back reassuringly before retreating completely, only stopping to look back one last time before heading out the front door.

Tweek paused once the door was shut behind him, the cool morning air filling his lungs as he took a deep breath and let his mind wander. He had to come up with some sort of plan to make his friend feel better; even if the older boy wanted to be alone, he knew that he couldn’t just leave him there like that. There had to be something he could do…

Just then, an idea suddenly came to him, and he immediately began making his way back in the direction of his house. He was pretty sure that he had enough allowance money saved up from helping at his parents shop, and although the place he wanted to go was in the next town over, he knew that if he took the next bus he should be able to make it back before sundown.

As soon as he made it inside the blonde rushed up to his bedroom, unlocking the small metal box in his dresser drawer and counting out all of the bills inside.

“Perfect.” His lips curved up into a smile as he finished and moved to his closet, grabbing a jacket from inside and slipping it on before shoving his phone and money into the pockets.

With that he headed back out, barely able to contain his excitement as he made his way towards the bus stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any idea what it is Tweek has planned? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	7. #4

Just as expected, Tweek was able to make it back into town after only a couple hours. He knew exactly what he wanted before he arrived at the store, so it didn’t take him long at all to find it and be on his way. But even though he’d been so sure of himself up until that point, now that he stood in front of Craig’s door, package in hand, he suddenly found his confidence beginning to fade.

It now occurred to him that this could go one of two ways; either everything would go as planned and the other would love the gesture, or Tweek would ruin everything by making him even more upset. He _really_ hoped that it would be the first of the two; after all, the last thing he wanted was to end up making things worse.

“Well, it’s too late to turn back now,” The blonde thought as he took a deep breath, reaching up and giving the door a few soft knocks before simply making his way inside. He found Craig sitting on the couch, gaze unfocused as he stared blankly at the TV screen, clearly not paying any attention to what was on.

Tweek hid the gift behind his back as he took a few steps forward, green eyes shifting over as he grabbed the other’s attention. His friend raised an eyebrow when he noticed his presence, assumedly not having expected the younger to be back so quickly.

“Tweek, dude, I know you just wanna make sure I'm okay, but—”        

“You want some time to yourself, I know, I-I’ll only be here for a second. I just came to bring you something, a-and then I’ll be on my way, promise.” Craig tilted his head in mild interest as he watched the blonde approach him, eyes shifting when he noticed that Tweek had something hidden behind his back.

“What is it?” He asked curiously, finally raising his head from his hand when the other stopped in front of him; he could see the younger boy shifting back and forth in his spot, something that usually meant he was nervous for whatever reason.

“Uhm…c-close your eyes and hold out your hands, okay?” Craig gave him a skeptical look at that, but thankfully complied, eyes falling closed as he held his hands in front of himself, palms facing upwards. After a moment or so of hesitation, Tweek finally brought the item in question from behind has back and placed it gently in the other’s hands. He watched as the boy’s brow furrowed in confusion, clearly trying to figure out what it was that he was now holding.

Once Tweek was sure that the other had a good hold on it, he clasped his shaking hands behind his back in an attempt to hide them, and he couldn’t help but glance nervously to the side before he spoke up again, “O-okay, you can...you can open them now.”

Green eyes opened once more, taking a moment to adjust as Craig looked at the object now resting in his hands; he didn’t immediately realize what it was, but as soon as he did his eyes grew wide, lips falling open wordlessly as he stared on in shock. Two black, beady eyes stared back at him from inside the small metal cage, a quiet gasp leaving him when he registered what exactly it was he was looking at.

He was completely stunned, the prolonged silence only making Tweek’s anxiety flare up even more; a twisting feeling filled the blonde’s stomach, and he suddenly found himself wondering if maybe he had made a mistake after all.

“I-I know no one can ever replace Stripe, but…I know how much he meant to you, a-and I was just thinking, well…” The younger trailed off, gaze falling to the floor as he wrung his hands together behind his back, “I…I-I hope I didn’t go too far…I’m sorry if—”

“Tweek.” It wasn’t until that moment that the blonde realized his friend had gotten up from the couch and was now standing directly in front of him, having set his new companion down on the cushions.

He didn’t even have time to look up before a pair of arms slid around him, pulling him against the other’s chest and holding him tightly. Craig’s face fell to his shoulder, and it took him a moment to realize what exactly the warmth soaking into his jacket was.

Tweek stood there, completely stunned when he realized the other was crying; he wasn’t shaking or sobbing or anything like that, but the younger could definitely feel the tears, something that shocked him beyond belief. He’d _never_ seen Craig cry before…oh god, had he really upset him that much?

He couldn’t help the thought form crossing into his mind, but as the other pulled back, he noticed the bright smile that was now spread across his face.

“Thank you…” Craig barely even whispered the words as he brought his hands to rest on the younger’s cheeks, pressing their foreheads together gently as he gazed into the wide blue eyes before him.

Tweek’s heartrate practically skyrocketed at that, all of the blood seeming to rush to his face at once and making him feel dizzy; Craig had never gotten this close to him before, and had definitely never looked at him so…intimately. It made him feel like he would faint at any moment, and he found himself clutching onto one of the older boy’s sleeves in desperate attempt to ground himself.

“Y-you don’t have to thank me,” He mumbled softly, eyes not able to stray no matter how much he wanted to look away, as if Craig’s gaze was holding him there, “I just…I-I wanted to help you…”

He couldn’t keep himself from glancing down to the other’s lips, something he often found himself doing whenever they came face to face; and that was when he realized that the distance between them was closing. Wait, was he leaning in? Was _Craig_ leaning in?

Oh god, was Craig about to—?!

The sound of the doorknob turning made panic surge through Tweek’s entire body like lightning, his heart practically leaping into his throat as he immediately tore back and jumped away from his friend. Wide eyes shot over to the front door as it began to open, but not before he caught a glimpse of Craig’s face, surprised to find his expression seemingly calm as ever.

What had just happened...had he simply imagined it?

The blonde couldn’t keep his body from twitching as he watched Craig’s mom step into the room, a welcoming smile on her face when she saw the two of them standing there.

“Oh, hello boys,” She said warmly, hanging her coat up by the door before shutting it once more, “What are you two up to?”

“Mom,” The other’s voice was laced with excitement as he grabbed the cage off of the couch again, seemingly unphased as he walked over to his mother and held up his new companion, “Look what Tweek got me!”

“Oh honey that’s wonderful!” She gave a bright smile as she leaned forward, examining the small animal before looking back over at their guest, “That was very sweet of you, Tweek. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight? I’ll be making pot roast.”

“O-oh, uh, n-no thank you Mrs. Tucker,” The younger shifted awkwardly in his spot as he rubbed the back of his neck, nerves still shot from what had just happened, “I should really be getting back, my uh…m-my parents should be home soon.”

That part wasn’t a lie, although Tweek really didn’t care about being home before his parents. Besides, he often had dinner at Craig’s house anyways, but right now he needed to get out of there and clear his head as soon as possible.

So he said some quick goodbye’s, telling the older boy that he would see him at school the next day before practically rushing outside, desperate to get some fresh air and try to sort his jumbled thoughts. He looked up to the sky as he made his way back towards his house, the horizon painted with brilliant shades of orange and purple.

His mind raced as he thought over everything that had just happened; he was beyond relieved that his plan had worked, and that Craig seemed to be much happier because of it. But as he replayed the scene over and over again in his mind, he only found that it was making him more anxious.

What the hell was that, anyways? He could have sworn he saw the other leaning in, but…no, there was no way. That just wasn’t possible! He had to have imagined it, that was the only thing that made sense.

But no matter how many times Tweek tried to convince himself that his mind was just playing tricks on him, his heart still continued to flutter incessantly, the image of Craig’s intense gaze stuck in his mind.

This wasn’t good. Craig had _never_ gotten that close to him before, and things definitely hadn’t ever felt so intimate between them.

If something like that were to happen again, well…Tweek wasn’t sure he would be able to keep his composure. If the other's mom hadn’t come in at that exact moment, who _knows_ what he would have done; one slip up and he could have ruined everything in an instant! He'd just come really close to crossing a line that he would never be able to uncross, and he knew there was  _no way_ he would have been able to explain himself out of that one.

Once back in his room, Tweek immediately fell onto his bed with a loud groan, hands placed over his face as a feeling of embarrassment washed over him. He had to be more careful.

 _He had to_.

Because he knew well enough that if things continued on like this, well…he wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to take it.


	8. Not so Easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well today! Just wanted to give a quick heads up and let you all know that since it's the weekend, I once again probably won't update for the next couple of days. I tend to get kinda busy, so it all just depends on whether or not I can find the time. But if not, I won't make you wait too long!
> 
> And again, thank you all so much for all of the comments and kudos! Knowing that I have such awesome support form you guys really makes me happy <3 I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> SLATS~

The next morning went by pretty normally; Tweek got up after another restless night, had some coffee, got ready and headed off to school. He’d replayed the scene of what had happened at Craig’s over and over in his mind throughout the night, but even so, he felt relatively calm as he made his way through the familiar halls.

Maybe he’d gotten passed it, and would actually be able to act as if nothing happened? After all, he had to have just imagined or misinterpreted the situation, so it’s not as if anything strange had _actually_ happened, right?

Or at least, that was what he tried to tell himself.

It wasn’t until he reached the classroom and saw Craig sitting there that he realized this would be much easier said than done.

Tweek could feel his face flush almost immediately, heart rate increasing as he made his way towards the older boy. Their desks were right next to each other, so he wouldn’t be able to avoid the other even if he’d wanted to. Not that he did, but being close to his friend when all he could think about was how the other’s lips would feel against his own definitely wouldn’t help anything.

Craig smiled brightly as soon as he saw the blonde, and despite his nerves, Tweek couldn’t help but smile back as he took his seat.

“Morning babe,” The other’s voice held a much warmer tone to it than usual, words making Tweek’s heart skip a beat as he clasped his shaking hands together atop his desk.

“G-good morning,” He mumbled back quietly, turning his gaze to the front of the room in an attempt to hide the blush that spread across his cheeks. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something familiar by his friend’s desk; a small metal cage.

The younger recognized it immediately, a strange sense of pride filling him when he realized that Craig must have brought it to show off at the end of the day. Before he got the chance to say anything about it, though, the bell rang and their teacher walked in, marking the start of class. All of the other children took their seats in preparation for what he expected to be yet another boring class period.

And just as expected, Tweek couldn’t focus or follow along with the material for the life of him. His mind continued to wander incessantly, always seeming to go back to the one person he was trying so hard _not_ to think about.

It wasn’t uncommon that Tweek caught himself daydreaming about his friend during class, but today it seemed to be especially bad, and he couldn’t help but tap his foot impatiently as he waited for the lunch bell to ring.

Thankfully time went by pretty quickly, and before he knew it he was making his way towards their usual table, tray of food in hand.

Craig was already there, along with the rest of the guys, so he took his spot next to his friend when he got there. Barely even a second passed before he felt an arm snake around his waist, pulling him closer and making his body go rigid. It wasn’t as if this way that first time Craig had done this; in fact, he did it pretty often, to the point that it had just become the norm. But right now it made all of Tweek’s hair stand on end, the loud sound of his heart pounding in his ears making it hard to focus on anything else.

He knew that Cartman and Kyle were arguing over something, but couldn’t bring himself to pay attention to what it actually was, instead focused solely on the warmth of Craig’s body heat.

Not that he particularly cared about what they were fighting over anyways; it was probably something stupid, as per usual.

In an attempt to calm himself, Tweek closed his eyes for a moment and took several deep breaths, hoping that the older boy wouldn’t notice how strangely he was acting.

“So Craig,” He finally spoke up, trying his best to keep his voice level and play off his nervousness, “I saw you brought your guinea pig today, how is he? Did you name him yet?” The arm around him tightened at that, and he couldn’t keep his body from jolting slightly when he felt Craig’s free hand come to rest on one of his own. Wide blue eyes shot over to meet with cool greens, and look the other was giving him made the breath catch in his throat.

“ _Our_ guinea pig, Tweek. He belongs to both of us,” A warm smile spread across his face as he gave the younger’s hand a gentle squeeze, “And yeah, Stripe #4 is doing great. I really can’t thank you enough.” They simply gazed softly at one another for a moment, as if silent thoughts were being passed between them, and the blonde’s chest was filled with a calming warmth at the words.

That was, until the moment was rudely interrupted.

“Jesus, would you guys get a room?” Cartman groaned in exasperation, immediately drawing both of their attention as they glared at him from across the table, “I can’t believe you seriously have a pet together now. I mean, how gay can you get?”

“Shut up fatass,” Craig spat back with a slight scowl, although he seemed infinitely more interested in his food than he did in the annoying brunette. The other boy apparently didn’t like the fact that he was basically being ignored, because he pressed on with his weak attempt at trying to get a reaction out of them.

“Call me fat one more fucking time Craig and I swear to god I’ll kick your ass!” He shouted angrily, slamming his hands down onto the table in a dramatic display.

“Y-you wouldn’t even get the first punch in before your face hit the c-concrete,” Tweek responded nonchalantly, much to everyone else at the table’s surprise. He focused his attention to his food as well, not even bothering to look at the other when he spoke, mainly because he knew it would frustrate him even more.

“Oh yeah, as if I’d ever get beat up by the gay kids. Very funny,” Cartman’s voice was drowning in sarcasm, and Tweek could practically hear the eye roll he gave, “I could take both of you down and you know it.”

“Well, y-you are the one that got your ass handed to you by a girl, s-sooo…”

“Shut the hell up Tweek, I don’t need to take that shit from you!”

“ _Don’t_ tell him to shut up.” The blonde looked back over when Craig spoke up again, and although he still hadn’t looked up from his food, the underlying danger to his tone was something that Tweek recognized all too well.

“You’re just mad because you know I’m right!” Everyone else at the table was now silently watching the exchange, the tension in the air almost palpable as the brunette crossed his arms, a smug grin spreading across his face that very clearly spelled trouble.

“I’d give the spazz three seconds before he was down on his knees. But you’d probably like that, wouldn’t you _Tweek_?”

The table shook as Craig suddenly flew up from his seat, a fire in his eyes and a look as if he were about to lunge right across the table. Out of the corner of his eye the blonde could see Cartman cower back, everyone else at the table seemingly completely stunned by the abrupt reaction; Tweek quickly stood up as well and placed a firm hand on his friend’s chest, leaning forward a bit so that he blocked his line of sight.

“I-it’s okay,” The younger spoke quietly, watching Craig’s intense gaze softened as soon as it met with his own, “It’s not like I care what _Cartman_  has to s-say anyways.” The name left his mouth as if it had been disgusting to say, and he gave a quick side-eye to the brunette before turning his attention back to the older boy, glad to see that he seemed to have calmed down almost immediately.

Green eyes filled once more with that familiar ‘I don’t give a fuck’ look as Craig turned his gaze back across the table, and although his voice was completely level, there was no mistaking the dark implications of his words as he gave a simple, “Watch what you say.”

With that he picked up his tray from the table, not breaking eye contact for even a second as he stared the other boy down. It wasn’t until Tweek followed suit that he finally turned his attention away, their free hands still clasped tightly together as they turned to throw away the remnants of their lunch.

As they were walking away, the younger could hear Kyle’s disappointed voice from back at the table say something along the lines of, “Damn, I really wanted to see Craig beat the shit out of him,” which seemed to garner agreements from the rest of the table. Except for Cartman of course, who immediately started yelling again, although Tweek could no longer hear what it was about. Not that he particularly cared anyways.

As much as he would have liked to deny it, Tweek always felt a deep satisfaction whenever Craig would get protective of him. Over time he'd come to recognize the telltale signs that the other was about to get into a fight; and not just any fight, but one regarding him. When it came down to it, those two situations were completely different entities.

Whenever Craig would get into a fight over literally anything else, except maybe Stripe, the younger noticed that his expression would pretty much remain completely neutral, as it normally did. There was no passion or fire behind his words or movements, and overall he just didn't seem to care, even in the slightest. Fights involving the blonde, however, were a completely different story.

While most people wouldn't have noticed the subtle differences, to Tweek they were unmistakable. The other would suddenly let off a dangerous aura, a dark light filling his eyes and his words dripping with venom as he went at the person in question with everything he had.

There were plenty of times when Tweek knew the older boy had come very close to beating the absolute shit out of Cartman, and as much as he would've enjoyed seeing the obnoxious brunette put in his place, the last thing he wanted was for his friend to get in trouble over him again. Plus Cartman tended to be very over the top and vicious in his retaliations, crossing lines that others wouldn't dare to go near, so he'd decided that it was just easier to grit his teeth and let the comments slide. Not that he would just sit there quietly and take them, though; rather, he just wouldn't retaliate, knowing full well that reactions were what the boy thrived on.

Even so, Tweek knew that the day would come where the annoying asshole would say or do something that either he or Craig wouldn't be able to let go; it was pretty much inevitable.

But he'd be damned if he wasn't going to try and avoid that day for as long as possible.


	9. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends, I hope everyone's doing well today! I actually meant to upload yesterday, believe it or not, but I got distracted and completely forgot about it;; so to compensate here's a longer chapter than usual! I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Also, just wanted to let you all know that I'm officially on break for Thanksgiving, and I'm back home now so I may not be able to upload every night of the week like I usually do. I'll try not to keep you guys waiting too long between updates though! And for those of you who are also on break I hope that you have a nice stress-free, relaxing time!
> 
> SLATS~

The rest of the day went by pretty normally, and finally it was time for recess. Tweek had just finished a game of catch when he made his way over to the swingset, deciding to take a break while his friends started up a second round.

As he looked back in the direction he came from, though, he suddenly realized that Craig was no longer there. Blue eyes scanned over his surroundings for a moment as he tried to find the older boy, only to come up with nothing. Where had he gone?

The blonde jumped in his seat as a pair of hands came to rest firmly on his back, grip on the metal chains tightening as he was pushed forward.

“O-oh!” His head spun to look over his shoulder, and although he had a pretty good idea of who was there, he couldn’t help but sound a bit surprised. The other smiled at him when he looked back, clearly pleased by the reaction.

“Y-you don’t have to p-push me,” Tweek said quietly, facing forward once more to try and hide the blush that dusted across his cheeks.

“I want to,” Craig said cooly, the hint of a smile in his tone as he continued to push the younger, swing now rocking back and forth. It grew quiet at that, although the silence was by no means awkward; rather they both knew that nothing needed to be said, simply enjoying one another’s company.

“Oh yeah, don’t forget that Clyde’s having that party tonight,” Several long moments passed before the older boy spoke up again, drawing Tweek’s attention back, “You still gonna come?”

The blonde nodded absently as he glanced back at his friend, wondering why he was bringing it up all of the sudden. Clyde’s dad was going away for the weekend, so he’d invited pretty much everyone in their class to come over to his place that night, and the two of them had decided a few days ago that they would go together.

“I figured afterwards you could come stay at my place if you want.” It came out as more of a suggestion than a question, mainly because it was already pretty much known what the answer would be; very rarely did Tweek ever turn down the opportunity to stay the night, and if he ever did it was usually because he wasn’t able to.

“O-of course Craig,” The younger responded without thinking, only realizing afterwards that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea; after all, he’d been struggling with these embarrassing thoughts ever since yesterday, so perhaps being alone together wouldn’t be the best thing for him after all.

Even so, he couldn’t deny that the idea of staying over with Craig wasn’t an exciting one, because he was always trying to come up with excuses to spend time with his friend.

“Great,” The swing gradually slowed as Craig put less and less force behind his pushes, although he didn’t take his hands off the younger even once it came to a complete stop, instead sliding them down to rest on his sides, “Then once the party’s over you can just come back with me.”

Tweek could feel the warmth through the fabric of his shirt, and he couldn’t help but shiver as one of the other’s thumbs started rubbing back and forth, a strange tingling filling his stomach.

Oh god, this was bad. How the hell was he supposed to survive tonight if Craig kept doing stuff like this? Being so close was bad enough, but the feeling of the older boy’s hands on him always seemed to make his brain practically short-circuit. If only the other knew exactly how it made him feel, maybe he wouldn’t do it so much.

Scratch that, if Craig knew the thoughts and reactions Tweek had because of him, he probably wouldn’t do it at all; he probably wouldn’t ever want to talk to him again, actually. And when it came down to either having to put up with the feelings or have the other pull out of his life completely, Tweek knew very well which one he’d rather deal with.

His mind was dragged back to reality as the sound of the bell met with his ears, the feeling of the hands on his sides finally leaving as all of the students began making their way back inside.

“We should probably head back in,” Craig’s voice was completely level as he made his way around the blonde, only managing to fluster him even more.

Any time the other did something to provoke such a strong reaction out of the blonde, he simply acted as though he hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary at all; it had gotten to the point where Tweek often found himself wondering if he just imagined most of it.

Trying to shake off the fluttering in his stomach, the younger stood and followed after as Craig began heading back in the direction of the school, deciding that it was better to just try and ignore it. That was pretty much what he always tried to do, but today his tactics were proving much less useful than normal, and it was making him feel ten times more anxious.

Just before they made their way back through the door, Tweek caught a glimpse of someone familiar, an idea suddenly making its way into his mind. It was something that he’d thought about a lot recently, although his nerves had been keeping him on the fence the whole time; but maybe today was finally the day.

Maybe today he would reach out for help.

* * *

 

The end of the day was finally nearing, and all of the students were sitting at their desks, one by one going to the front of the room to show off something interesting they’d brought with them.

They did this every Friday, and although Tweek typically was never that into it, today he found himself much more enthralled by the weekly tradition.

“Okay Craig, you’re next,” Tweek watched from the corner of his eye as his friend jumped down and grabbed something from beside his desk, and he couldn’t help but smile as the older boy made his way to the front of the room, familiar ball of tan and white fur held gently between his hands.

“Today I brought with me my new friend, Stripe #4. He was given to me by my wonderful boyfriend Tweek, and we’re going to be taking care of him together.” The younger could feel his cheeks flush as his smile widened, eyes falling shyly to his desk as the room erupted in a litany of “aww”s.

It was one thing when others referred to him as Craig’s boyfriend, but when Craig himself did it he would completely light up, heart skipping happily in his chest.

Cartman let out several obviously fake coughs, slipping the word “homos” between them in the least subtle way possible; Tweek flashed him a quick glare, but not before catching the sight of Craig blatantly flipping him off. If it would have been anyone else, he probably would have gotten in trouble for it, but their teacher either didn’t notice, or just didn’t care.

Probably the latter.

“Aww, it’s kinda like you guys have a kid together now!” Butters called out from the other side of the room, only causing Tweek’s blush to deepen as his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to protest, but Craig cut him off before he was able to oppose the statement.

“Yeah, I guess Stripe is kind of like our son.”

Well, that was unexpected.

“Craaaaig,” The blonde nearly facepalmed at the other’s words as he let out a half-hearted whine, although he couldn’t keep a few soft laughs from sneaking into his voice, “Y-you’re embarrassing me!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re so considerate,” Craig flashed him a grin and shrugged nonchalantly before making his way back to his desk, green eyes gazing warmly at the younger the whole way back.

“Come on, save it for the bedroom guys,” Cartman’s sarcastic voice rose up yet again, eliciting another sharp glare from the both of them. Tweek was about to offer a retort when Kyle cut in, clearly fed up by his “friend’s” behavior.

“Oh would you just shut up for like five seconds? No one wants to listen to your stupid ass comments.” Cartman reeled back at the words, a look of disbelief coming to his face when the class resounded with chuckling agreements.

“Don’t tell me to shut up you stinking Jew!” The brunette’s face reddened as he yelled back in a rage, although the outburst immediately came back to bite him as their teacher seemingly reached her limit.

“Eric Cartman! What have I told you about making anti-Semitic remarks in the classroom?!” Pretty much everyone quieted down at that, although a few snickers could still be heard from around the room, “One more comment like that and you’re gonna find yourself in detention for a whole week!”

The boy let out an appalled gasp at the threat, and although he seemed like he was about to argue back, ultimately it proved effective. Tweek watched as the other mumbled something begrudgingly and crossed his arms in a dramatic display, finally allowing peace and quiet to fall over the class once more.

A few more students took their turns before the last bell finally rang, all of them jumping up and rushing out of the room in a large wave. Once they’d made it out into the hallway, Craig hung back to talk to Clyde for a moment, giving Tweek the opportunity to seek out the person he needed.

After a few minutes of wandering around the halls, he finally spotted the person in question at their locker, and took a quick look around before approaching.

“H-hey man,” Tweek tapped gingerly at the familiar orange parka, watching as the older blonde turned and gave him a questioning look, “I uh…I-I really need your help, K-Kenny.”

“Is everything okay?” The other asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he shut his locker door, turning to give the younger his undivided attention.

“Yeah, i-it’s just…” Tweek trailed off for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck, gaze averted nervously, “I really need to talk to someone, a-and well…y-you’re the only other person I-I can trust…”

“What about Craig?” Kenny asked curiously, eyebrow raised as he gave the other a confused look. Tweek could feel his eye twitch as he pursed his lips together, neck jerking to the side a bit as he wrung his hands hard enough to turn his knuckled white.

“I-it’s, uhm…it’s a-about Craig…”

A strange silence fell over them at that, the lack of a response only making Tweek’s anxiety worsen. He looked back up at his friend after a moment, surprised to see a look of pure interest on the other’s face.

“You know you can always talk to me,” The tone in Kenny’s voice suddenly shifted as he gave an amused grin, clearly intrigued by whatever it was the nervous blonde wanted to tell him, “How about you come back to my place and we talk it over there?”

Just as Tweek nodded in agreement he heard a pair of footsteps coming up behind him, drawing his attention as he looked back over his shoulder to see whoever was coming over.

“There you are,” A familiar voice called out, blue eyes meeting with soft greens as the older boy approached them, “I was wondering where you went. Do you wanna come—?”

“Sorry Craig,” Kenny interrupted, slinging his arm over Tweek’s shoulder and making him jump at the sudden contact, “I need to borrow Tweek here for a bit. He’s coming back to my place.”

“Oh, okay,” Craig responded as nonchalantly as ever, although the questioning look he was giving the younger was unmistakable.

Tweek simply shrugged as he bit the inside of his lip, trying his best to keep his composure and not seem suspicious, “I um…I-I need his help with something.”

The older boy cocked an eyebrow at that, although he didn’t question any further, gaze instead shifting over to the taller blonde as they simply looked at one another for a moment.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him,” Kenny grinned cheekily as his hold on the other tightened, pulling him closer and making him shift awkwardly in his spot, “We’ll meet you at the party later, yeah?”

He turned without waiting for a response, practically dragging Tweek along as he made his way towards the exit. The younger stumbled slightly as he tried to keep up, looking back over his shoulder and waving meekly as he called back to his friend, “I-I’ll see you later, o-okay? I’ll text you in a bit!”

Although he really didn’t like having to hide things from Craig, Tweek knew that there was no real way for him to explain the situation without giving too much away. After all, what “easy way” was there to tell your best friend, “Oh by the way, I need advice because I’m too in love with you and it’s slowly driving me insane”? Yeah, that would go over well.

So the next best thing would be to get a second opinion, and when it came down to it, Kenny was the only other person he really considered himself to be close with. The only other person he could trust with the truth.


	10. A Helping Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope that everyone's doing well :) I know it's been a few days since I uploaded last, things have just been busy over break so I haven't really had the time. I finally found a moment though, so it's time for the new chapter!! I hope you all enjoy <3
> 
> SLATS~

The walk back to Kenny’s place was pretty uneventful, although that didn’t keep Tweek’s nerves from going haywire, the thought of what he was about to do replaying over and over in his mind and making his body shake and twitch beyond all control.

His only saving grace was that the other thankfully didn’t try to question him on the topic on their way there, instead chatting idly about his day. Whether this was because Kenny noticed how nervous he was or not, he didn’t know; either way, he was grateful for at least that small sense of relief.

As the two made their way inside, Tweek took note of the rare silence that hung over the house, figuring that no one else had made it back yet. They went straight back to Kenny’s room, the older blonde humming softly as he shut the door behind them and slid his signature parka off of his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor before turning his attention to his guest.

Tweek took up a spot on the edge of the bed, eyes darting around the room as he tried to find something to focus on in order to keep his thoughts level; he’d been in this room plenty of times before, but at that moment it felt much more claustrophobic than usual, as if the walls were closing in on him.

“So,” Kenny spoke up after a few moments of silence, leaning back against the door as he stared at the younger, arms crossed casually in front of his chest, “What did you wanna talk about? You said this was about Craig, right?”

Tweek stayed quiet, eyes glued down to his hands clasped tightly in his lap as he tried to sort through everything he wanted to say. He’d never talked about this with anyone before, and as much as he trusted Kenny, he just wasn't sure how to properly put everything into words.

The lack of a response apparently didn’t sit well with the other, the air around them suddenly growing much heavier as he took a step forward, the movement forcing the younger’s attention up to him. That was when Tweek noticed the dark look swimming within his friend’s eyes, the mere intensity of it sending a shiver down his spine.

“Did he hurt you?” Kenny’s voice was low and dangerous, gravity of his words very clear as he kneeled in front of the other, “I swear to god I’ll kill him.”

Tweek simply blinked for a moment, eyes slowly growing wide when he registered what exactly the other was implying. He threw his hands up defensively, head shaking side to side as he tried to force the words out in a panic, “N-no, i-it’s not like that!! Craig hasn’t d-done anything at all, it’s, well...i-it’s me.”

His eyes fell back to his lap at that, teeth gnawing at the inside of his lip as he tried to slow his frantic thoughts. He could feel his hands trembling, so he started fiddling with the hem of his shirt to try and quell their incessant movement, or at the very least try to hide it.

Kenny must have recognized the anxious tick because he didn’t say anything further, instead sitting crisscross in his spot on the floor and simply looking up at the younger, waiting patiently for him to continue.

Several long moments passed before Tweek finally spoke up again, hand rubbing at the back of his neck as he gazed off to the side in an attempt to avoid making eye contact with the other.

“Th-this is, um…” He let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes, hand dropping limply back to his side in an almost defeated manner, “I-it’s gonna take some explaining…”

“We have time.” Kenny said softly, flashing a reassuring smile up at the blonde as if trying to make him feel more comfortable. Although it didn’t do much to calm his frayed nerves, Tweek appreciated the gesture nonetheless. He knew that he would probably feel much better once he’d gotten everything off of his chest, but the idea of sharing this deep secret he’d kept for so long was definitely an intimidating one.

There was definitely no going back now though, not after he’d made such a big deal out of needing to talk about it.

“Okay…d-do you remember that assembly we had a-about a year ago? The o-one about the art that the Asian girls were drawing?”

“I don’t think anyone could forget that,” Kenny chuckled as he leaned back, hands braced on the floor to support himself as he looked up at his guest in interest, “And then you and Craig had that huge blowout at the school, but you got back together like three days later.”

Tweek could feel his cheeks flush in embarrassment at the mention of his little outburst, and he couldn’t help but make a face as he remembered back to that day, “Y-Yeah, that one…”

“You know, I never understood why you got back with him so easily after he cheated on you like that. I mean Craig’s great and all, don’t get me wrong, but I would’ve kicked his ass if I were you. Hell, I wanted to kick his ass _for_ you!”

“Well, see, th-the thing is,” Tweek glanced back down at the other at that, watching as his friend raised an eyebrow curiously, “Craig didn’t…h-he didn’t cheat on me.”

Well, here went nothing.

“We uhm…w-we weren’t dating back then, actually.” Biting at his bottom lip, the younger’s gaze drifted yet again as he stared off at nothing in particular, worried to see what Kenny’s reaction would be. A strange silence fell over them at that, one that was nearly deafening, and each second that ticked by made Tweek feel like he was slowly losing his mind.

“Wait…what?” The response was short and sweet, the confusion in the older boy’s voice clear as day as he stared up in disbelief, as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard right. That was pretty much the response Tweek had been expecting, but the fact that he was prepared for it didn’t actually make things any easier.

“Just, uhm…l-let me explain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there wasn't really any progress in this chapter, so I just wanted to make a note and say that things are definitely going to be moving forward in the next few, so no worries! I'm still on break for the rest of the weekend, but I'll try and upload again in the next couple days :)


	11. Proof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guys! I'm officially back from break, so I should have time to upload a bit less sporadically now. I actually ended up writing a lot more than I anticipated with this next chapter, and I was originally going to just post it as one, but it turned out waaaaay too long. So surprise surprise, you guys get two chapters for the price of one!  
> But wait, THERES MORE. Not only am I posting two chapters tonight, but they're both extra long ones! Hopefully that makes up for the lack of consistent updates over the past week.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you're all having great days/nights, and as always I hope you enjoy the new chapters!! Thanks again so much for all of your continued support <3
> 
> SLATS~

Almost two hours of frantic rambling went by before Tweek finally finished with everything he’d wanted to say, a deep breath leaving his lips as he went quiet, simply waiting for Kenny’s response. The other stared up at him with wide, confused eyes, mouth opening and closing several times as if he were having a hard time finding the right words to say.

“So…let me get this straight,” The older blonde spoke up after several moments of what Tweek assumed to be stunned silence, his brow knitted together and a look on his face as if he were still having trouble wrapping his head around everything, “You and Craig have just been… _fake_ dating? This whole time?”

Tweek simply nodded as he watched the other intently, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of questions he knew was likely to come.

“But what you’re saying is that you’ve actually caught feelings for him now? And he doesn’t know?”

Once again Tweek quietly shook his head, almost hesitant to actually admit his feelings out loud to someone else. He watched as his friend stared off, gaze a bit unfocused as he thought over everything. A deep sigh left him as he brought one of his hands up to rest on his forehead, head shaking back and forth as he chuckled softly.

“Jesus Tweek, it sounds like you’re in some cheesy romcom or something.”

The younger pursed his lips at the comment, cheeks heating up embarrassedly; as much as he wanted to offer some sort of witty retort, he couldn’t deny that the accusation was at least pretty accurate.

“Not funny, Ke—”

“You’re basically Sandra Bullock right now.”

“And _you’re_ not helping.” He huffed as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, shooting a half-hearted glare at the older blonde when he started laughing, hands thrown up defensively.

“You’re right you’re right, I’m sorry. It had to be said though,” Laughter dying down, Kenny leaned back in his spot on the floor once more as he gazed up at the other, a satisfied grin playing on his lips.

“Y-yeah, whatever. S-so what should I do?” Tweek looked back at his friend imploringly as he leaned forward in his spot, words holding an almost urgent tone to them. He wasn’t exactly sure what kind of help Kenny would be able to offer, but at the very least he hoped that the other would be able to give him some kind of advice.

“Okay here, let me give you my two cents on the issue,” The older boy suddenly stood from his spot before taking a seat right next to the other, the cheeky tone in his voice changing into something a bit more serious, “First off, I can say that from an outside perspective, you and Craig’s relationship doesn’t seem fake at all. Back when you first got together, yeah things seemed kind of awkward, but I just assumed it was because of the whole cheating thing. Now though, if you wouldn’t have told me, I wouldn’t have thought for even a second that you guys weren’t actually into each other.”

Tweek listened intently, practically hanging on Kenny’s every word as he looked at the other. He supposed that it was only natural people thought their relationship was legitimate; that was pretty much the entire point, which is why they were always so openly affectionate with one another. Sure the displays were much more natural now, but the younger had always assumed that Craig had just gotten good at playing the part.

“Now you know Craig much better than I do, but the Craig that I know only really gives a shit about two things: you and his guinea pigs. He definitely doesn’t give a shit about what anyone else thinks of him, so he’s not really the kind of guy to put up pretenses just so he can fit in. See what I’m getting at here?”

Tweek simply looked at the other for a moment before slowly shaking his head, the confusion clear in his features as he tried to follow along with whatever it was his friend was trying to imply.

“What I’m saying is, why would someone like Craig, who doesn’t care about anything, force himself to be in a relationship he didn’t want just so everyone else could be happy?”

The younger paused at the words, gaze trailing off as he thought over what Kenny said. He supposed that when, explained like that, it really didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Craig really wasn’t the type of person to do anything he didn’t want to do, Tweek knew that well enough. But even though he knew logically that what the other said had some truth to it, he was still having trouble letting the actual meaning behind those words sink in.

He knew what they implied, but he wasn’t ready to listen. The last thing he wanted was to give himself more false hope.

“H-he said that everyone moping around was t-too annoying.”

“And you believed him?” Kenny shifted forward a bit, making it so that the other was forced to look at him again, “Come on Tweek, Craig’s a terrible actor and you know it. Do you _really_ think he would be able to fool everyone into thinking that your relationship was real if he wasn’t at least somewhat into it? When Craig doesn’t care about something, he makes it blatantly obvious, whether he means to or not. You can’t deny that.”

He was right. No matter how many times Tweek went over it in his mind, he knew that he couldn’t deny it. Kenny’s words were beginning to weigh heavy on him, and he couldn’t help but start fidgeting in his spot, his subconscious refusing to let the gravity of what the other was saying truly reach him.

It was a defense mechanism of sorts, because deep down the younger knew that if he were to actually take the words to heart, only for them to end up being false, it would definitely crush him. He wasn’t quite prepared to take that risk.

“Y-yeah but—”

“Listen to me Tweek. I’ve seen the way that Craig looks at you, the way he smiles and drops whatever he’s doing to give you his undivided attention when you talk. It’s like he’s seeing the sun for the first time, and I see that shit happen _every day_. You can try and deny it all you want, but I’m telling you that even if it started out that way, what you two have now isn’t fake. There’s just no way.”

Unable to come up with any sort of response, Tweek simply stared off into space for a few moments, letting the other’s words sink in. He’d spent so long convincing himself that their relationship was one sided that it was hard for him to see any other alternatives; sure Craig was always very attentive to him, and often shared a side of himself that the younger knew no one else ever got the opportunity to see.

But even so, that was all just because they were so close, right? Because Craig considered him to be a very good friend, and trusted him enough to let his walls down when they were together? It couldn’t have been anything more than that…could it?

“Look, I’m telling you that he’s into you.” Kenny spoke up yet again, clearly not satisfied by the lack of a response, “And you know what? I can prove it you.”

Blue eyes suddenly shot back over at the last part, an obvious look of disbelief housed within them as Tweek looked at the other, “W-what do you mean, how can you—?”

The blonde practically shot out of his seat at the sound of his phone going off, familiar ringtone sending an icy jolt throughout his body. His eyes darted over to where his phone lay on the bed, having carelessly tossed it there sometime after he’d first arrived; displayed on the screen was a photo that he and Craig had taken together some time ago, further confirming who the call was coming from.

He simply stared at it like a deer caught in headlights, the noise continuing to fill the room as the seconds ticked by. Finally he went to reach for it, but it was quickly snatched up before he was able to grab it. He looked over to the other in confusion, and that was when he noticed the look in Kenny’s eyes; it was a look that Tweek recognized instantly as meaning he was up to no good.

“Sorry Craig,” Kenny’s voice had a mischievous, somewhat playful tone to it as he answered the call, the smug grin he was wearing evident in his words, “Tweek’s a bit busy right now. Can I take a message?”

The younger simply stared at his friend in confused disbelief, half tempted to simply snatch the phone away from him, yet curious as to what exactly his intention was. It seemed that the curiosity won, as he found himself listening intently to try and hear what was being said on the other end.

Interestingly enough, it was dead quiet. It stayed like that for several long seconds, much too long of a pause to be normal; finally he could hear a voice on the other end after what felt like an eternity, although he couldn’t actually hear what was being said.

“Sure, I’ll tell him.” Kenny’s smirk widened, the satisfied look on his face only confusing the young blonde even further. The voice on the other end came through once more, although the response was much shorter this time, and the impish look in the other’s eyes grew more intense as he locked eyes with the boy next to him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back to you soon. We just need to finish up here.”

Several more moments of silence passed before Kenny gave a short goodbye and ended the call, handing the phone back to Tweek and chuckling softly at the face the boy was making.

“W-what was that about?” Tweek tilted his head as he looked at the other questioningly, unclear of what his intent was or why he seemed so pleased with himself. The older boy simply shrugged and flashed him an innocent smile, acting as if he hadn’t been doing anything out of the ordinary.

“Oh, nothing really. I figured you were too nervous to answer the phone, so I thought I’d just do it for you.” The seemingly helpful nature of his words was in complete contrast with that devilish look housed within his eyes, but still he continued on like normal, “Craig wanted me to tell you that he just got to Clyde’s house, so just find him when we get there.”

Tweek’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked at his friend, knowing full well that there was some other meaning behind what he’d done, although he couldn’t quite piece together what exactly it was. He was fully intent on figuring it out, but right as he opened his mouth to press further the other stood up and stretched before turning to make his way back across the room, a clear indication that the conversation was over.

“We should probably get heading over there. Ya know, before your boyfriend sends out a search party.”

Even though he was reluctant to simply drop it, Tweek knew well enough that if Kenny had some sort of secret plan, no amount of prying would convince him to talk about it.

The older blonde rarely intervened in the lives of others, but whenever he did he worked sort of like an invisible hand, setting things in motion and watching from afar as the chain reaction of events unfolded before him.

Tweek had seen it happen only a handful of times before, but having it turned on him was a bit unnerving, mainly because he knew just how unpredictable the other could be. Even after all the years they’d known one another, the air of mystery that surrounded Kenny was something that never seemed to fade; still, he trusted his friend enough to know that whatever he may have been up to, there were more than likely good intentions behind it.

“Is he w-worried about me or something…? I completely forgot to text him like I s-said I would.” The younger stood form his spot as well, stopping to straighten out his clothes for a moment before following the other’s lead, watching as he reached down to put his parka back on.

“Oh I’m sure he is.” There it was, that mischievous tone again; even if Kenny was facing away from him, Tweek could definitely tell that he was grinning again, only furthering the urge to dig for answers. Even so, he kept quiet as he trailed at his friend’s heels, deciding the he would figure out what the older boy had planned soon enough. After all, Kenny _was_ trying to help him, that much he knew for sure.

Tweek had never really been good at putting his faith in other people, but it was something he’d been trying to work on recently, and now seemed like a good a time as ever.


	12. The Party

The walk over to Clyde’s house was relatively quiet, the two boys chatting idly every so often about nothing of particular importance. Even though Kenny’s place was on the other side of town, the trek there wasn’t that bad; one of the perks of living in such a small town was that everything was in a relatively reasonable walking distance.

A quick look at his phone told Tweek that it was going on 5:30, the sky above them already fading into an ombre of deep blues. The younger took note of the dark grey clouds that seemed to be rolling in over the horizon, the thick moisture that hung in the air a clear sign of an approaching storm.

As they made their way up to Clyde’s door, Kenny paused before he went to knock, as if suddenly having remembered something. He glanced over as he leaned in, whispering lowly into the other’s ear.

“I forgot to mention this, but whatever I do or say in there, don’t take it to heart. Just follow along, okay?”

Tweek gave his friend a look of pure confusion, not quite sure how to interpret such a vague statement. The other began knocking before he was able to ask what he meant by it, and the door opened almost instantly, further cutting off any opportunity he had. He supposed that he would simply have to go with it, whatever “it” happened to be.

“Hey, you guys finally made it!” Clyde greeted them warmly as he stepped to the side, music pouring out from behind him as he motioned for them to come in, “Pretty much everyone’s here already, except for a couple people. Come join the party!”

As they made their way inside, Tweek was welcomed with the familiar faces of nearly all of the students from their grade, plus a bunch of other kids that he only somewhat recognized, presumably from other classes. His eyes scanned the room absently, taking note of all of the people he knew; there were more people than he expected would be there, and he began to fidget in place almost instantly.

Even though it was something that he’d been getting better with over the years, Tweek still wasn’t particularly fond of crowds, and often found that his anxiety would spike when he found himself thrust into large social gatherings.

Not to mention that he could pretty much count on two hands the number of kids in his grade that he was even remotely fond of, and considering that those people only seemed to make up about 1/3 of the room, he couldn’t help but immediately feel out of place.

“Oh, Tweek,” The sound of Clyde’s voice snapped the blonde out of his thoughts, eyes darting back over when he realized the brunette was trying to get his attention, “Craig’s been looking for you, you should go find him. I think I saw him over in the kitchen a couple minutes ago.”

“Thanks,” Tweek answered quietly, moving to make his way towards the adjacent room when his arm was grasped lightly, stopping him in place.

“Wait, I’ll come with,” A hurried glance showed that it was Kenny who had grabbed him, the older blonde smiling as he let go and moved to follow along. The two made their way through the crowd, and Tweek was thankful to find that the kitchen was much less packed than the living room had been, only a few people hovering where a table of snacks and drinks had been set up.

Blue eyes met with familiar greens as soon as he stepped through the entryway, and the other immediately began making a beeline towards him; but oddly enough, as his friend’s gaze shifted over to who he assumed was the boy next to him, Tweek could have sworn that he saw Craig stop in his tracks for a split second. It happened so quickly though that if he’d blinked he would have missed it, so he couldn’t be entirely sure that he saw it correctly.

“Hey guys,” Craig came to a stop once he reached the two blondes, gaze mainly focused on the smaller of the two, “I was wondering when you were gonna get here.”

“Sorry I stole him away for so long,” Tweek was about to respond when Kenny cut him off, the hand that was placed on his shoulder making him jump a bit, “He really needed me though. But don’t worry, I took care of him.”

Craig’s gaze shifted over to the taller blonde, and Tweek noticed the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a look on his face as if he wanted to say something but was holding back. The two stared one another down for a moment, the air around them suddenly growing tense; the younger watched the exchange closely, having a difficult time piecing together what exactly was going on. It wasn’t until Kenny’s hand slid down to his upper back that things started to make more sense, an intense look of animosity flashing through Craig’s eyes so quickly that he’d almost missed it again.

But this time, Tweek knew for sure that what he saw was real, and that was when everything clicked into place.

_“I’m telling you that he’s into you. And you know what? I can prove it to you.”_

_“Whatever I do or say in there, don’t take it to heart. Just follow along, okay?”_

Tweek had to fight the urge to slap his hand to his forehead, having been completely oblivious to the situation up until that moment. How could he have been so stupid? Kenny was practically spelling it out for him after all, and even then he still hadn’t put two and two together.

As soon as he realized what was going on though, he immediately began to panic; if what Kenny was trying to do was actually working, and from the look on Craig’s face it probably was, then the other was more than likely making some less than positive assumptions right about now.

The younger’s train of thought was cut off as another voice called out to Kenny from the other room, the taller blonde turning to see Kyle and Stan waving him over. He put up his index finger, indicating that he would be there in a minute before turning his attention back to Tweek, completely ignoring the fact that Craig’s eyes were still fixed on him.

“I’m gonna go, so just come find me later okay?” Tweek barely even had time to respond as Kenny dipped down suddenly, arms wrapping around him as he was pulled into a tight embrace. The younger couldn’t help but freeze up for a moment, still very unused to physical contact with other people, aside from Craig.

“Oh, and if you ever need me again,” The other smiled as he pulled back, hands resting on the smaller’s forearms for a moment before he pulled away completely, “Feel free to just come over to my place. You don’t have to ask or anything.”

With that he turned and walked away, leaving the two of them standing there in an awkward, heavy silence. A quick glance told Tweek that Craig was still staring after the other, gaze so intense that the blonde was almost surprised that it didn’t burn a hole through Kenny’s prized parka.

A few seconds passed before Craig turned to look at him, a look in his eyes that the younger didn’t quite recognize.

“Can I talk to you?” The words were simple enough, but it was the seriousness behind them that made Tweek’s stomach flip; before he was even able to answer though, the other grabbed his hand and started leading them through the connecting hallway, stopping once they’d found a place that was uninhabited by other partygoers.

Tweek wanted to say something once they’d come to a stop, but all of his words seemed to dissipate when Craig turned to look at him again, eyes narrowed in an almost suspicious manner.

“Is there something I should know?” The other’s voice was relatively level, although there was an underlying tone to it that Tweek couldn’t quite place, the unfamiliarness of it making him shift uncomfortably.

“W-what do you mean?”

“I _mean_ it’s only been about five minutes since you got here, and already Kenny’s had his hands all over you.” Tweek simply blinked at his friend blankly, the words taking a moment to actually sink in; the meaning behind them slowly settled on him, and his eyes widened a bit in disbelief. This was what he’d expected to happen, but even so it was difficult for his brain to actually accept what he was hearing.

“A-are you jealous?” The younger mumbled the words absently, not even realizing that he’d said them aloud until after they’d already left his lips.

“Should I not be?” Craig responded by giving him a look as if he’d grown a second head, as if the fact that Tweek felt the need to even ask at all was surprising to him. That was pretty much all the answer the blonde needed for his suspicions to be confirmed.

“N-no!” He shouted a bit too quickly, face flushing embarrassedly as he lowered his voice again, “Craig, i-it’s not like that. Kenny doesn’t mean anything by it, I-I promise.”

“It sure seems like he does.” The older boy said incredulously, arms crossed in front of his chest as he waited for some sort of explanation. Tweek shifted his weight on his feet as he began fidgeting with one of the lower buttons on his shirt, trying to find the best way clarify the situation without giving too much away.

“H-he just…something’s been bothering me, a-and I went to him for advice. H-he’s trying to help me in the best way he can, I promise you, i-it’s nothing more than that.” Craig simply stared back at him quietly for several long moments, as if assessing the truth of his words. Finally he let out a small sigh, arms dropping back to his sides as his gaze softened.

“If something’s been bothering you then why didn’t you just tell me? You know you can always talk to me, Tweek.”

“I-I know that, but…” The younger trailed off for a moment as he glanced to the side, suddenly finding it difficult to meet his friend’s gaze, “It’s, uhm…i-it’s not something I can talk to you a-about…”

Craig seemed a bit taken aback by the statement, voice confused and holding an almost hurt tone to it, “But it’s something you can talk to Kenny about?”

Tweek looked back to the other at that, an imploring look in his eyes as he tried to sound reassuring, “P-please don’t take it personally Craig, i-it’s nothing bad or anything, it’s just—”

“Something about me?”

A heavy silence fell over them once again as Tweek’s gaze shifted back to the floor, lips pursed together as he bit at the inside of his cheek. Craig seemed to immediately take the hint, his tense, guarded posture fading as he gave the other an understanding look.

“Sorry for getting mad, I just…” The older boy sighed as he trailed off, and although his voice was much calmer he had a look as if he wasn’t sure how to continue.

“How…d-did you feel?” Tweek urged him on, watching as his friend made a face at the words; Craig still wasn’t really used to actually talking about his feelings, but there was an unspoken agreement between the two that if either of them were to ask that question, the other would have to try their best to explain.

They’d started doing it after the North Korea incident, when Craig had helped the blonde through his problems by asking him how the situation made him feel. Tweek had then asked the same question the next time his friend had gotten upset over something, and the older boy had responded much in the same way he originally had.

Ever since then, the two used the phrase back and forth; Craig usually used it whenever Tweek was stuck on a problem and didn’t know how to move forward, and Tweek used it when Craig  wasn’t sure how to voice what he was thinking. So far it had become one of the most effective ways for them to communicate with one another, especially when one of them was reluctant to.

Tweek waited patiently, staying quiet as he watched the older boy’s brow furrow, as if he were trying to figure out what the best response would be.

“I felt…uncomfortable.”

Tweek couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt as the other finally answered. “I’m sorry Craig,” He spoke softly as he gave an apologetic smile, hand rubbing at the back of his neck, “I-I didn’t mean to make you feel like that…I promise you though, th-there’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“I believe you.” Craig smiled back at him warmly, the tense atmosphere that surrounded them now completely gone as they looked at one another.

The resolution made Tweek feel much less panicked than before, allowing him to actually take a moment to look at the situation as a whole; Kenny had set out to make Craig jealous on purpose, which turned out to be pretty effective. But what exactly did that mean?

Kenny’s main goal had been to prove that Craig had feelings for the younger, and while getting jealous definitely meant _something_ , Tweek still wasn’t entirely sure what that something was. After all, his friend had always been very protective of him, so it was entirely possible that jealousy was just an extension of that.

Or at least that’s what Tweek told himself.

“Craig, Tweek!” A familiar voice suddenly called out from the other room, effectively cutting off his train of thought, and it took a moment for him to realize that it was Token, “You two done making out back there? We’re gonna play a game!”

Tweek couldn’t help but blush at the statement, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check the time; he hadn’t realized how long they’d been talking, the display showing that it was already almost a quarter after six.

“We’ll be in in a second,” Craig called back casually, not even bothering to deny the accusation. He turned his attention back to the younger, a small smile playing at this lips as he held out a hand and motioned back in the direction they’d come from, “Ready to get back in there?”

Although the thought of being back in the crowd wasn’t exactly an appealing one, Tweek knew that having the other by his side would make his anxiety much easier to handle. He smiled back and nodded, taking the hand that was offered to him before the two began making their way back through the hall.

“Yeah, l-let’s go.”


	13. T or D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo I know that this chapter is even longer than what you guys are used to, I hope it's not too much;; Once I get in the zone it's difficult to find a stopping point, especially if it's one big, connected scene. Either way, I hope that you guys enjoy it, and that's it's not too daunting to read or anything lol  
> Hope everyone's having a good day/night!
> 
> SLATS~

As soon as they made their way back into the room, Tweek noticed that everyone was gathered together, sitting in clumps on the couches and scattered across the floor. Following Craig’s lead, they made their way to an empty spot on the floor and sat next to one another, hands still clasped together between them.

“Now that the two lovebirds are back we can start,” Clyde clapped his hands together, everyone’s attention turning to him as the room grew quiet.

“What are we playing?” Stan asked absently, clearly much more interested in his phone than in anything actually going on in the room.

“Glad you asked Stan,” The brunette grinned widely, eyes scanning over the room as if he were a predator sizing up his prey, “We’re gonna play Truth or Dare.”

Everyone sort of just looked at one another at that, expressions ranging from excitement, to fear, to disinterest and so on. Tweek clutched at Craig’s hand subconsciously, eye twitching as he let out a dissatisfied hum.

This was one of the main reasons he tried to stay away from parties; he wasn’t very fond of the stereotypical “games” people usually played at them. The idea of being forced to do something or expose his deepest secrets was not at all appealing to the blonde. Not to mention that even if the games started out fun, they almost always ended in disaster.

But even with his reluctance, he simply sat there quietly, praying to whatever deity that could hear him that he wouldn’t get called on. And for a while, it actually seemed to work.

Things started off pretty simple, the truths and dares relatively mild as people went around the room, alternating between picking their friends and people they didn’t particularly like; it was pretty easy to tell the difference, because the questions and requests tended to be a bit more negative when it came to the latter.

About a dozen people had gone already, all of them thankfully skimming by Tweek, much to his relief. He simply sat there and watched the events unfold, tuning in and out depending on how interested he was in whatever was happening at any given time.

One of the girls had just called on Kenny, who had been more than eager to face any challenge given to him so far. He actually seemed really into it, but considering that he wasn’t shy about anything and tended to be more on the daring side, it made sense.

“Kenny, Truth or Dare?” The blonde girl, who Tweek was pretty sure was named Jessie, asked with a playful smile as she leaned forward a bit in her spot.

“Truth, hit me,” The other responded almost instantly, an interested look in his eyes as he sat back casually in his seat.

“If you had to pick one guy in this room to sleep with, who would it be?” A few intrigued “ooh”s and giggles resounded around the room, everyone’s attention turned to the older blonde. He quirked an eyebrow as he looked back at her, a smirk playing on his lips as he spoke matter-of-factly.

“Is that even a question? Of course I’d pick Tweek.” The response was so instant that it took Tweek a few seconds to even register what he’d heard, eyes going wide as they darted over to look at his friend.

“W-what?!” He shouted without thinking, face flushed as the older blonde glanced over and winked at him. The other had sounded so sure of himself, as if the answer hadn’t needed any thought at all, to the point that Tweek couldn’t even tell if it was still a part of the act or not.

The younger could feel Craig’s hand grip his tightly, and as he glanced over he noticed that the other’s eyes were narrowed as he shot Kenny a nasty look. Usually his anger was very subtle, but at that moment it wasn’t hidden at all, to the point that he was practically seething.

“Oh come on, it’s a compliment!” Kenny simply laughed at the glare he was receiving, brushing the other off with a dismissive wave of his hand. Tweek rubbed his thumb lightly across Craig’s own as the game continued on, hoping that the gesture would be reassuring. He turned to give him a small smile, and as the older boy looked at him out of the corner of his eye, he thankfully seemed to calm down as he smiled back.

They both seemed to get the same idea as they scooted closer to one another, Craig’s hand leaving his as the other moved to put his arm around his waist. Tweek let out a quiet, contented sigh, not really paying much attention to the game anymore as he focused on the feeling of Craig’s arm around him, enjoying the warmth it provided.

Several more people went, and the blonde was starting to think that maybe he would be completely in the clear; but as fate would have it, it seemed that the thought alone was enough to jinx him. He wasn’t paying attention, so it took several nudges from Craig for him to realize that his name had actually been called by someone.

“Huh?” He looked over to where Bebe was pointing at him, a rush of panic surging through him when he registered what exactly was going on.

“Tweek, Truth or Dare?” She repeated the question, and although her smile didn’t seem to hold any malicious intent behind it, Tweek couldn’t help but immediately feel nervous.

“U-uhm…Truth?” His response came out as more of a question than anything, clearly unsure of himself or what he was getting into; neither option really seemed good to him at all, but he supposed answering a simple question was better than having to do something against his will. He just hoped that it wouldn’t have anything to do with—

“So how far have you and Craig gone?” Shit, of course it involved Craig. What else was he expecting?

“How far have we…g-gone?” Tweek repeated the words questioningly, head tilted to the side as he looked back at her in confusion, not quite understanding what she meant by it.

“You know, in bed?” Bebe tried to elaborate further, although Tweek’s panicked brain was still trying to process the question, completely oblivious to what exactly she was trying to imply.

“Jesus Christ, have you guys had sex yet?” Cartman interjected loudly, eyes rolling so hard that you could practically hear it.

Oh…OH.

“W-what, no!” Tweek answered frantically, cheeks hot as a deep blush spread across his face, “Of c-course we haven’t!”

“Why not?” One of the other girls in the room asked, although Tweek didn’t recognize her at all, so he wasn’t really sure why she was interested in the first place. He opened his mouth to respond, but Craig beat him to it before he was able.

“That’s two questions.” He said nonchalantly, hold on the younger tightening as he pulled him closer. This thankfully made everyone drop it, knowing full well that the rules of the game stated that you couldn’t ask more than one question in a row. Tweek was extremely grateful for this, and although his frayed nerves started to calm down, he could still feel the blush burning at his cheeks.

Why the hell would they have done…well, _that_? Tweek was nowhere near prepared to even think about stuff like that, the mere idea of it making his stomach twist. Not to mention, he and Craig hadn’t even _kissed_ or anything! He supposed that no one actually knew that though, so maybe it was only natural to think that they did other things when behind closed doors.

“Your turn babe,” Craig nudged him again, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts; he’d been so caught off guard by the question that he’d forgotten that it was actually his turn to ask someone else now. His eyes scanned over the room for a moment, not really having anything in particular he wanted to ask anybody.

“Kyle, T-Truth or Dare?” He finally decided, the other seeming taken aback for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected to be called on either.

“Uhm, Truth I guess.”

“Do you h-have a crush on anyone in this room?” It was a simple enough question, but the surprised look that made it’s way into the red-head's eyes was definitely interesting. He stayed quiet for several long moments, but Tweek couldn’t tell if it was because he wasn’t sure of his answer, or because he was reluctant to say it.

“Kind of.” Kyle answered quietly, an almost nervous tone to his voice, and Tweek couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty for putting him on the spot. He honestly hadn’t expected the answer to be yes, so he hadn’t really meant anything by it; he just wasn’t sure what else to ask, so he went with something common.

“Gee, I wonder who it is,” Cartman cleared his throat loudly, holding up a hand to “block” Kyle’s view as he pointed to the boy that sat between them; Stan’s eyes were still glued to his phone though, so he didn’t even notice that anything was going on.

“Shut up fatass, you don’t know shit!” The other yelled back angrily, the “subtlety” of the brunette’s accusation completely ineffective.

“Don’t call me fat, _Kahl_!”

“Would you two both shut up so we can get on with it?” Wendy suddenly interjected from the other side of the room, resulting in several chuckled in nods of agreement. The two boys in question continued to glare at one another for a few moments, although neither of them said anything further, instead turning their attentions back to the task at hand.

About 20 more minutes went by before Tweek leaned over, whispering quietly into Craig’s ear as to not interrupt the game, “Hey, I’ll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom.”

The other simply nodded, his hand lingering on Tweek’s lower back for a moment before he pulled it away completely, allowing the blonde to stand up unhindered. He pushed out to the edge of the room before beginning to make his way across it and to the following hallway, trying his best to avoid pumping into or walking in front of any other partygoers.

The rest of the house was pretty quiet, considering that everyone was all gathered in the one room. Now that he was out of the fray, making his way towards where he knew the bathroom to be, Tweek could hear what sounded like thunder rumbling softly above. He didn’t hear any raindrops yet, but from the sounds of it, it seemed as though the storm would be starting at any moment.

As the blonde turned the corner, he noticed that the bathroom door was already shut, soft light pooling out from the crack below. There were a couple of voices coming from inside, two girls it seemed; he stood there for a few seconds before turning on his heel, figuring that he would just have to come back in a bit.

That was, until something from inside the room caught his attention.

“I think we’re gonna play seven minutes in heaven soon. Who do you wanna go in the closet with?” The words were relatively muffled, but Tweek could just barely make out what was being said, although he wasn’t really sure why they’d caught his attention so much.

“Craig, _duh_. Who else?” He completely froze in place at that, feet planted firmly to the floor as his hearing seemed to go hypersensitive, now completely latched on to the conversation whether he wanted to be or not.

“Craig? But isn’t he with that Tweek kid?” The blonde listened intently, eyes staring off blankly as he wracked his brain to see if he recognized the voices or not, but ultimately coming up with nothing.

“Oh please, so what? You don’t actually think Craig’s _into_ him, do you?” Something strange flashed through Tweek at that, an intense feeling that made him clench his fists and grind his teeth together, and he had to fight the urge to throw open the door and confront whoever it was inside.

“I don’t know, they seem pretty serious to me. They’ve been at each other’s hips the whole time they’ve been here.”

“It’s totally just for show, there’s _no way_ someone as cool as Craig would actually have feelings for that freak. He probably just stays with him out of pity. Besides, didn’t you hear earlier? They haven’t even done anything yet, and they’ve been together for what, like a year now? Don’t you think that’s weird?”

“Maybe they’re just not ready? We are still young, not _everyone’s_ thinking about that kind of thing yet, you know.”

“You and Jake have already made it to third base though right? You guys have only been dating for a couple months.”

“Well yeah, but—”

“See, that’s what I’m saying! Don’t you think that if Craig was actually into him he would have tried something by now? He probably doesn’t even want to _think_ about touching that little weirdo. I know _I_ wouldn’t if _I_ were him. He should just dump that loser and get it over with already! He’s only gonna end up hurting him more in the long run if he keeps putting it off.”

They kept going back and forth, but Tweek could no longer hear what they were saying, completely tuned out to everything around him. His eyes were glued to the floor below, gaze unfocused as he stood there in silence, mind having gone blank.

He felt…cold.

Finally he started moving forward, although is steps felt extremely slowed, as if he were trying to wade through honey. As he reached the main room, he didn’t bother to look up as he made his way back around, all of the voices sounding muffled and far off as he stayed close to the wall.

He never should have come here. He knew that it was a bad idea, but he went against his better judgement and did it anyways.

How could he have been so stupid? All of this…was stupid.

He stopped when he reached the front door, hand reaching up and resting on the doorknob as he gave it a light twist, not bothering to look back. It’s not like anybody would notice if he left.

It’s not like anyone would care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone call for some angst? No? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> You'd think that Tweek would know by now that at least one person is going to care if he just up and disappears. Especially if said person is actively waiting for him to come back, but nooooo


	14. Disappearing Act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guys! Got another longer chapter for you tonight :) I hope you all enjoy it! I absolutely loved the surplus of comments on the last one by the way, reading them all definitely made my day <3 it makes me so happy to see you guys all so engaged with the story! I just want to thank you all again for taking the time to read and comment and everything, it really does mean a lot to me. I hope you're all having good days/nights, and I'll see ya again in the next one!
> 
> SLATS~

Craig stood by the snack table, cup of punch now in hand as he took a small sip; he’d only been drinking water until then, but decided to try some of the deep red liquid, much to his displeasure. He pulled a face at the gross, bitter taste that washed over his tongue, immediately regretting the decision. It tasted nasty, and as he sniffed at the strange mixture, he realized that it smelled just as bad.

Someone had spiked it.

“Ugh.” Moving over to the sink, he poured the beverage down the drain with a roll of his eyes, crushing the plastic cup in his hand before tossing it into the nearby trash can.

The noirette grabbed another bottle of water before making his way back to the living room; he started walking to where his spot had been, only to stop halfway through his tracks, confused green eyes landing on the vacant spot next to his own.

Tweek still wasn’t back yet?

He quickly pulled his phone out of his back pocket to check the time, noting that the younger had been gone for almost 10 minutes now. He immediately changed his course, heading across the room and into the following hallway that he knew led to the bathroom.

However, he only ended up more confused once he got there, finding the bathroom door ajar and the light inside turned off. Even though he knew it was uninhabited, he checked anyways, small pangs of worry making their way into his stomach when his suspicions were confirmed.

Craig did a quick sweep of the surrounding rooms, unease only growing each time he didn’t find the blonde. Finally he made his way back to the main room, finding that everyone was now more spread out and engaged in different conversations, the game seemingly having come to an end.

“Hey, have any of you guys seen Tweek?” He asked as he made his way up to the closest group of people, consisting of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Butters.

Kyle and Stan looked at one another before shaking their heads, and Butters put his thumb to his lips as he hummed thoughtfully.

“Didn’t he go to the bathroom?” The blonde asked after a moment, but Craig quickly shook his head.

“He said he was but he’s not there now, and I can’t find him anywhere,” He said hurriedly, the levelness of his voice in contrast with the slight panic he was starting to feel. It wasn’t like Tweek to just disappear without saying anything, so he couldn’t help but be a bit worried.

Okay, maybe more than a bit.

“He left about 15 minutes ago.” Cartman suddenly spoke up, not bothering to look up from his phone as he tapped absently at the screen.

“What?” Craig’s voice raised the slightest bit as he stared at the other, giving him a look as if he were stupid, “He left? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“The hell was I supposed to do?” The brunette asked in complete disinterest, finally glancing up from the screen as he quirked an eyebrow.

“You could have told me!” Craig couldn’t keep the hint of frustration from seeping into his voice as his eyes narrowed, although Cartman didn’t really seem to care.

“It’s not my fault you can’t keep track of your damn boyfriend,” He said matter-of-factly, gaze once again moving back to his phone in complete disregard for the other’s concern.

Realizing that he wasn’t getting any further, Craig let out an annoyed sigh as he turned to walk away; he heard the brunette mumble something about him being an asshole, but he didn’t really have the time or energy to worry about it, instead continuing to make his way towards the front door.

He snatched up the umbrella he’d set down when he first came in, suddenly very grateful that he’d brought it as he threw the door open; it was completely dark out, rain pouring heavily from above to the point that it obscured his vision a bit.

He opened up his umbrella and stepped out without another word, not bothering to tell anyone that he was leaving as he began hurriedly making his way in the direction of Tweek’s house, wanting to get there as soon as possible.

A walk that usually would have only taken about 5 minutes took more around 10, the heavy rain and winds slowing his movements, much to Craig’s dismay. Finally he reached the familiar entryway, immediately stepping up to it and knocking loudly several times; normally he would have just gone in, but he knew that Tweek’s parents would likely be home at this hour, and it was still too early for them to have been asleep.

“Oh, hello Craig,” Tweek’s dad, Richard answered the door after a few seconds, a welcoming smile on his face as he looked down at the boy, “Can I help you with something?”

“Is Tweek home?” Craig asked in a hurry, trying his best to seem as nonchalant as ever despite the ever growing feelings of panic in his chest.

“No, I haven’t seen him,” The man thought for a moment before shaking his head, answer only making things worse, “Last I heard he was going over to his friend Clyde’s house. Isn’t he staying the night with you?”

“He is, but…” The younger trailed off for a moment, unsure of whether being honest would do any good, but ultimately deciding that it was better than nothing, “I lost him at Clyde’s place, and I was wondering if maybe he came back here.”

“Hmm, no I can’t say I’ve heard from him,” Mr. Tweak didn’t sound worried even in the slightest, investment in the conversation completely feigned to the point that it was painfully obvious he could have cared less, “I’m sure he’s around somewhere. If he comes back I’ll have him call you, okay?”

Craig couldn’t help but grit his teeth at the other’s complete lack of interest, and although there were several less than savory things he wanted to say at the moment, he bit his tongue regardless, knowing that getting on the Tweak’s bad side just wouldn’t be worth it.

“Thanks,” He mumbled lowly before turning his back to the man, beginning to make his way back in the direction he’d come from.

He was worried that this would happen; as soon as Cartman said that Tweek had left, he immediately knew that something was wrong, and the fact that the younger wasn’t at home confirmed it. And knowing that, Craig also knew that there was only one other place the blonde would be.

He began making his way towards the outskirts of town, moving as quickly as possible despite the onslaught of the raging storm. Loud bursts of thunder clapped from above, the sky lighting up in a blindingly bright display as lightning ripped through the clouds.

Craig knew that it was dangerous to be out at a time like this, but it wasn’t himself he was worried for, his panic only growing the longer it took him to reach his destination. There was only one thing circling through his mind at the moment, pushing him forward despite the hazardous conditions; he had to find Tweek, and he had to find him fast.

Finally after what felt like an eternity of walking he reached the familiar dirt path, although the rain had transformed it more into a paste-like sludge. The last thing on his mind was getting dirty though, so he continued to press on, the surrounding trees swaying and creaking loudly under the pressure of the howling wind.

The calm nature of the nearby water had become more tumultuous from the incessant assault of raindrops pelting it from above, the small body beginning to overflow a bit onto the surrounding land. Craig knew that the boy he was looking for would be to the North, and as he kept trudging forward as quickly as he could, finally his destination began to come into view.

It was hard to see clearly through the thick veil of rain, but he could just barely see the outline of a figure hunched down by one of the trees, right where he’d expected him to be.

“Tweek!” Craig called out loudly, the distress in his voice no longer hidden as he began to rush over, mud splashing up from the stomp of his feet. The other didn’t respond at all, showing no signs of having heard him, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of how loud the rain was or not. He _really_ hoped that was reason.

“Tweek,” He tried once again as he came to a stop in front of the younger, who was sitting against the familiar tree with his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around them tightly and his face turned downward. Still there came nothing in response, Craig’s stomach twisting as he grew more and more panicked.

“Hey,” He said softly as he kneeled down, hand coming to rest gently on the other’s shoulder; he could see that Tweek’s eyes were open, gaze completely unfocused as he stared off, but still the blonde didn’t react to his touch at all. And that was when the dread really started setting in.

Craig had only seen this happen twice before, and each time was just as fear-inducing as the last. The first time it had happened, he had no idea what was going on, and had nearly called the hospital in a panic, thinking that the younger’s life was in danger or something. Thankfully he knew how to recognize it now though, and therefor knew what to expect and how to handle it properly.

Whenever Tweek’s anxiety and depression would become too overwhelming for him to handle, the blonde would completely shut down, falling into an almost zombie-like state and refusing to respond to anything that was going on around him. But it wasn’t as if he were simply _choosing_ to ignore everything, rather it was like he honestly didn’t register that anything was happening, as if words and actions just couldn’t reach him at all.

Each time was the exact same, and each time was just as terrifying for the older boy.

And whenever it happened, the younger could pretty much always be found at this exact location. Craig wasn’t entirely sure why, but Tweek had always been attached to this tree in particular; he would come here whenever he was upset or frustrated over something, and any time the two of them went on a walk by Stark’s pond, they would almost always stop to sit under it and talk for a while.

Ever since the first time Tweek had brought him there, Craig had always known where to find the blonde when all else failed.

“Come on,” He said softly, trying his best to keep his voice level and knowing full well from experience that freaking out wasn’t going to solve anything. He slid his hand around to the other’s back and applied a small amount of pressure, urging him to stand; thankfully it didn’t take much coaxing, and the younger was able to pull himself to his feet with Craig’s help.

The older boy immediately wrapped his arm around Tweek’s waist to pull him close to his side, making sure that the blonde was completely under the umbrella; he was already completely soaked, but still Craig wanted to shield him from the rain as much as possible, thankful that his umbrella was big enough to house the both of them. Even if it hadn’t been though, he would have covered Tweek with it without a second thought, not really caring if he would have gotten wet because of it.

He began walking back in the direction he’d come from, making sure to keep his steps slow so that the other stayed directly at his side, not wanting him to fall behind at all. Arm still wrapped firmly around Tweek’s waist, he could feel that the blonde’s small frame was shaking fiercely, but he wasn’t sure if it was because he was cold or because of the state he was currently in; probably a mix of both, considering that the deep chill that hung in the air was enough to sting at his own skin.

Pausing in his tracks for a moment, Craig undid his jacket before sliding it off of his shoulders, having to switch the umbrella between hands as he tried to maneuver his arms out of the holes. Finally he got it off, wordlessly draping it over Tweek’s shoulders, and although the younger didn’t fully put it on, he was relieved to see that he at least grabbed at the edges to pull it tighter around his body.

Placing his hand on the other’s lower back, Craig continued to urge him forward as they made their way through town, the trek back to his house taking much longer than he would have liked. He just wanted to get them inside as soon as possible, because not only was Tweek soaking wet, but the temperature was dropping rapidly, a combination that he knew would be detrimental to the blonde’s health.

All he wanted was to protect Tweek, and he'd sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure that he always could.


	15. Protector

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone! Well, morning for me at least. I hope you're all doing well! I meant to post this chapter last night, but I'm very busy with school things at the moment so it kind of slipped my mind. Sorry for the delay!  
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter! And as always, I hope that you all have a great day/night :)
> 
> SLATS~

Finally they made it back, Craig fumbling with his house key for a moment before pushing the door open and leading them both inside. He flicked on the light as he shut and locked the door once again, the house having been completely dark and quiet until then. His parents were out of town, and his sister was staying over with a friend for the weekend, so he knew that they would be the only two there.

He immediately led Tweek upstairs and into his bedroom, tossing his umbrella to the side as he turned on the light, not caring whether or not his floor got wet.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Craig placed his hands firmly on the younger’s shoulders as he looked at him, noting that Tweek still wouldn’t look back, gaze just as unfocused as when he’d first found him, “Stay here.”

With that he turned and left the room, quickly making his way through the house to gather the things that he needed. He stopped by the bathroom to grab a few towels before heading downstairs and into the kitchen, turning on the Keurig and picking a flavor of coffee that he knew the blonde was fond of.

Craig wasn’t much of a coffee drinker himself, but he tried to make sure they always had some on hand at his place for whenever Tweek came over, and over time he’d grown familiar with what particular brews the other seemed to like.

He made his way back upstairs after a few minutes, finding that Tweek was once again back in the same position he’d found him in, although this time the younger was sitting up against the wall next to his bed. Craig let out a small sigh as he made his way over, stopping to take a seat directly in front of the other as he set the mug in his hand off to the side, trying to avoid it getting knocked over.

A heavy silence fell over the room as he leaned forward tentatively, placing one of the towels he’d brought over the blonde’s messy locks as he started trying to dry it. Tweek seemed to relax a bit at this, tense posture fading ever so slightly as he let out a deep breath.

After a few minutes the younger shifted in his spot, knees dropping from his chest as he moved to sit crisscross instead, hands falling into his lap. He was slowly dropping his guard, which Craig recognized as one of the telltale signs that meant he was starting to come back.

“You’re freezing,” Craig remarked quietly, the back of one of his hands pressed to the blonde’s cheek, “You need some dry clothes.” He reached absently for the top button of Tweek’s shirt, only for his hand to be grabbed suddenly; the other’s grip wasn’t strong in the slightest, but the fact that it was there at all was what surprised him.

Tweek’s gaze had come back into focus, although his eyes were still cast downward, as if he were trying purposely to avoid looking at the boy in front of him.

“Y-you don’t…h-have to…” His voice came out broken and strained, a heaviness to it that made Craig’s chest tighten.

“You’ll get sick, Tweek,” The older boy tried to reason with him, pushing his hand forward once again; the younger’s faced scrunched up as if the action had physically hurt him, grip tightening as he effectively held the other’s hand in place.

Craig let out a soft sigh, curling his fingers around Tweek’s own as he held his hand gently.

“What happened back there?” He finally asked the question that had been burning through his mind this whole time, wanting to know what exactly had caused the blonde to fall into such a state. Whenever he got like this, it wasn’t as if it just happened out of the blue; no, there was always some kind of catalyst, and Craig desperately wanted to find out what it was.

Tweek stayed quiet though, a distressed look on his face as his lips pulled together, as if he were still unsure of whether or not he wanted to talk about it.

“I won’t force you to tell me,” Craig spoke softly, both of his hands now holding Tweek’s own as he leaned forward a bit, “But I want you to know that I’m worried about you, and whatever’s wrong, I want to do my best to help you through it.”

Several long moments of silence passed between them at that, their breathing and the rain outside the only noises that filled the room. Finally Tweek looked up, gaze meeting with Craig’s for the first time since the other had found him; his eyes began to sting almost instantly as his vision blurred, and before he even had the chance to try and stop it, the tears started to fall.

The sight made Craig’s heart sink in his chest, his own expression falling as he reached up, hands now cupping the other’s face gently.

“Oh Tweek, honey don’t cry…” He wiped his thumbs back and forth, lightly catching the tears the stained the younger’s cheeks. The blonde squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he pulled back a bit, one of his own hands coming up to wipe at them frantically.

“I-I’m sorry, I—!”

“No, hey, it’s okay,” Craig said quickly as he scooted closer, wrapping his arms around the younger and pulling him forward into a tight embrace, not even remotely worried about the water now soaking into his own clothes, “Everything’s okay.”

He started rubbing his hand up and down the other’s back reassuringly, resting his chin atop the wet blonde locks as Tweek buried his face into the older boy's chest, hands clutching tightly to the front of his shirt.

The younger's shoulders began to shake as he tried desperately to hold back the sobs that were threatening to spill out, not wanting to seem any more pathetic than he assumed he already did.

“Did someone do something to you?” Craig asked as he continued to rub the other’s back, trying his best to coax Tweek into giving him an explanation. The blonde simply shook his head, although the fact that he was answering at all came as a big relief.

“Did someone…say something?” He tried again, running all of the possibilities through his mind as he thought back over what had happened; Tweek had gotten up to go to the bathroom, but until that point he’d seemed fine, meaning that something had to have happened after he’d left the living room.

No response came this time, but that alone was answer enough to his question.

“What did they say to you?” He kept urging the conversation forward, knowing that the only way he would get an answer was if he kept Tweek talking. The younger shook his head again, but spoke up before Craig had to ask what he meant by it.

“N-not…to me…I h-heard it…” Tweek’s voice was muffled and uneven, soft sobs leaking out between his words, but the older boy was thankfully still able to make out what he was trying to say.

“What did you hear, Tweek? Did they say something about you?” The blonde grew quiet again at that, and Craig could feel the fingers latched onto his shirt tighten, further confirming his suspicion. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of anger at the confirmation, brow knitted together as he frowned.

He was about to continue with his questioning when the other spoke up yet again, his next words taking Craig by surprise.

“Th-they said that…that you only h-hang out with me because…b-because you feel bad for me…” Tweek practically had to force out the words, although he didn’t quite explain the true nature of what he’d heard, not really wanting to give away why exactly he was so upset about it.

“Who was it?” Craig said after several long moments of silence, eyes narrowing as he glared off at nothing in particular; not only was he furious that someone had caused Tweek to fall into this state, but the fact that they had dared to say something like that only further fueled his anger.

“…I-I didn’t s-see them…two girls, b-but I didn’t recognize their voices…”

Craig let out a deep sigh at that, pulling back a bit so that he could look down at the younger, blue eyes now red and puffy as they gazed back up at him.

“Tweek, whatever you heard, I need you to know that it’s not true,” One of his hands came back up to rest tenderly on the blonde’s cheek, the other staying wrapped tightly around his waist, “I’m with you because I want to be. I’m not gonna force myself to do something I don’t want to do, you know that.”

Tweek couldn’t keep his eyes from widening a bit at the statement, words replaying over and over in his head as he stared up at the other; Kenny had said pretty much the same thing to him earlier that day, but hearing it from Craig himself, whether he already knew it to be true or not, resonated with him in a much deeper way.

“But…w-why?” His words came out in barely even a whisper, tears continuing to fall silently as he looked at the older boy in confusion, “Y-you could be with anyone Craig, w-why do you—?”

“Because I don’t _want_ anyone else, Tweek. I want you.”

The younger’s thoughts came a screeching halt, breath caught in his throat as he opened his mouth to say something, only to close it a second later. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest, all of the blood seeming to rush to his face at once.

“You…y-you what?”

 


	16. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well, it's the moment I'm sure we've all been waiting for. Let's see Tweek try to logic himself out of this one. Do you think that he's going to continue to be in denial, or do you think that Craig's words will finally be able to reach him? Time to read and find out :) I hope that you guys enjoy the new chapter, and that you all have a great day/night! And P.S., thanks again so much for all of the wonderful comments on the last one, reading them all honestly made me so happy! You guys are the best <3
> 
> SLATS~

_“Because I don’t_ want _anyone else, Tweek. I want you.”_

_“You…y-you what?”_

 

The two simply gazed at one another at that, a strange look flashing through Craig’s eyes; it almost seemed as if he hadn’t really realized what he’d said until after it’d been pointed out to him, and now he looked almost taken aback by it. The surprise quickly faded from his features though, green eyes filling with an intense look of resolve as he stared down into the soft blues before him.

“I want _you_ , Tweek. I’ve always wanted you.”

The blonde let out a shaky breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, hand trembling as he brought it up to rest on the one cupping his cheek. He curled his fingers around Craig’s own, eyes falling closed as the tears finally came to a stop.

“I…I-I’m so confused Craig…” He whispered the words, brow furrowing as if he were experiencing some kind of pain, “Do you…a-actually like me…?”

He slowly opened his eyes once more, a feeling of reluctance washing over him; this was something he’d wanted to ask for so long, but now that it had actually left his lips, he couldn’t help but fear for the answer.

 Craig’s expression grew confused, a look on his face as if he didn’t understand the question.

“Tweek, you’re my boyfriend,” He said dubiously, like he expected the answer to have been obvious, “Why wouldn’t I—?”

The older boy trailed off, eyes shifting back and forth between Tweek’s own as if he were searching for something; then all of the sudden it seemed as though something clicked in his brain, his own gaze growing wide as he stared at the other in disbelief.

“Wait…did you not…?” He trailed off again, a look of panic suddenly flashing through his eyes, and at that exact moment Tweek finally understood what was going on.

“W-we never talked about it!” They each reeled back at the exact same time, staring at each other in complete shock as the reality of the situation began to set in for both of them.

“I didn’t…think we needed to,” Craig’s voice was filled with disbelief, as if it were hard for him to comprehend that what he was hearing was actually real, “I thought I made things pretty obvious.”

“I-I just…I thought that—…!” Tweek couldn’t even form a complete sentence, his thoughts so panicked and jumbled that they were barely even coherent anymore, “O-oh god…”

“Wait, so you’re telling me that this _whole time_ , you thought I was still faking? All of this?” A lightbulb seemed to go off in the older boy’s head, a look of understanding making its way across his face, “No wonder you’ve been acting so weird lately! I just thought that maybe—”

“GAH!!” The blonde shouted suddenly, eyes squeezing shut as tightly as possible as both of his hands flew up to grasp at the sides of his head, “H-how could I be so stupid?! I was s-so worried that this whole time you didn’t like me, a-and that you were gonna find out, and then you’d h-hate me and I would ruin everything and—!!”

“Tweek!” His frantic rambling came to a halt at the sound of his name, eyes shooting back open when Craig’s hands came to rest on his cheeks. The other’s gaze had softened, a smile playing on his lips as he stared into the wide blue eyes before him.

“Everything that I’ve said to you, everything that I’ve done has been real. I honestly thought you knew, or I would have said something about it sooner. I never wanted you to think this was one sided.”

“Oh god, Craig, I-I’m so sorry!” Tweek buried his face in his hands, completely flushed in embarrassment, and every fiber of his being practically screaming at him to curl up under a rock and never come back out.

“No, I should be the one saying that,” Craig grasped the blonde’s hands and delicately pulled them away from his face, a gentle look in his eyes as he gave an apologetic smile, “I guess I should have been more clear about how I felt. Everything was just so natural that I just assumed you already knew, but I should have actually said something. The last thing I wanted was to cause you more stress.”

Tweek went to say something in response, but suddenly something clicked inside his mind, cheeks reddening further as he stared at the other in disbelief.

“W-wait, so…this whole time, y-you already knew that I liked you?”

The older boy quirked an eyebrow at that as he looked at the other curiously, “Well yeah, of course I did. How could I not have?”

“What?!” Tweek let out a loud groan as his hands once again flew to cover his face, cheeks no longer cold as he blushed furiously, “B-but I was trying so hard to hide it!”

A few seconds of silence passed before Craig spoke up again, his voice holding an almost confused tone to it, “…you were?”

“WAH!!” The blonde shouted out, wondering if it were actually possible for someone to die of embarrassment, “D-don’t say it like that, that just m-makes it worse!!”

He couldn’t help but jump slightly as a pair of arms were wrapped around him once again, the action making him look back up as he was pulled into a tight embrace. Craig was smiling warmly, pressing their foreheads together as he stared deeply into the wide blue eyes before him.

“I’m glad that I knew, Tweek. I just wish that you would’ve known too, that way you wouldn’t have had to worry so much about it. I’m sure it’s been driving you crazy.”

Just as it had happened the previous day, Tweek felt his entire body freeze up, the breath caught in his throat as he stared at the other; he could hear his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he swallowed hard, suddenly realizing just how dry his throat was.

Even though this was the same position he’d found himself in before, something about the way that Craig was holding him, the way he was looking at him now, it all felt…different. Maybe it was because Tweek finally understood that look for what it really meant; these gestures were no longer platonic, and they hadn’t been for a very long time, he’d just been too stubborn to accept it. He couldn’t help but wonder if they ever had been at all.

His eyes once again fell to the older boy’s lips, wanting desperately to close the space between them. But with that thought came a rush of anxiety, his hands starting to shake fiercely as he dug them into the other’s shirt, as if clinging to him for dear life. Tweek had thought about kissing Craig so many times before, but it had only ever been a fantasy, something he wondered about but would have never tried to do, or ever thought would actually happen.

But this…this was real. And this was terrifying.

What if he were to somehow screw up? What if he wasn’t good at it and ended up putting Craig off? What if he was reading the situation completely wrong and Craig didn’t even want to kiss him? Just because the other liked him didn’t necessarily mean that he would want to kiss him or anything, so what if by going for it Tweek made an irreversible mistake and the other ended up being weirded out by it? What if—?

“Tweek, you’re thinking too much again,” Craig said as he pulled back slightly, effectively cutting off the younger’s train of thought. A thoughtful look crossed the older boy’s face at that, as if something had just occurred to him, and he tried to smile reassuringly.

“If I’m making you uncomfortable, please just—”

“N-no!” Tweek shouted in a rush, the suddenness of it seeming to take both of them back a bit. The blonde’s face heated up yet again, cheeks dusted in a deep red as he tried to explain the outburst, only managing to stumble all over his words, “I-I’m sorry, that’s not it, I-I just…”

As Craig looked at the younger, he realized that he looked lost, as if he knew what he wanted but was too afraid to reach out and take it. He couldn’t help but smile at Tweek’s almost pleading gaze, his hands moving up to cup the other’s cheeks as he chuckled softly.

“You’re so cute, Tweek.” With that he leaned forward, no interruptions to stop him this time as he finally closed to the gap between them.

Tweek’s breath hitched in his throat as the other’s lips met with his own, a warm, electric-like feeling spreading throughout his chest and making the tips of his fingers tingle. Craig’s lips were surprisingly soft, much softer than he’d expected them to be; his head spun as the other kissed him, and although it only lasted a few seconds, the feeling left him breathless.

Craig pulled back only a small bit, a soft smile playing on his lips as he slowly opened his eyes, letting out a satisfied hum.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” He said sweetly, gaze lidded as he stared deeply into the other’s eyes.

All of the breath left Tweek at once, expression mirroring Craig’s own as his hand came to rest atop one of the ones on his cheek, nuzzling into the touch.

“Why didn’t you?” He said quietly, not really realizing he’d asked the question until the words had already left him. The older boy chuckled again at this, one of his thumbs rubbing gently back and forth on the blonde’s cheek, noting the way the deep pink contrasted with his otherwise pale skin.

“I didn’t want to scare you away,” Craig admitted, explanation showing Tweek that he wasn’t the only one that had been worried about messing things up, “I figured that if I tried anything too soon I would just end up making you nervous, so I wanted to wait for the right time.”

He leaned forward again, eyes falling closed as he whispered, “I’m glad that I finally found it.”


	17. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HEADS UP! This chapter is kinda long, so just be aware of that before delving in!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back from my weekend excursions, and since I haven't uploaded the past few days, I figured I'd make it up by uploading an extra long chapter for you guys! I also just couldn't find a good enough place to space it out, so I hope it's not too long. I was so happy to see you all so invested in the last chapter, your comments were all exactly what I was hoping for <3 thank you guys so much for the continued support :) knowing that everything came across the way I intended is such a great feeling!  
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter, and as always, I hope that you're all having a great day/night! See ya in the next one!
> 
> SLATS~

Their lips connected for a second time, resolve much stronger as that final wall between them came crashing down. Tweek poured all of his emotions, everything that he’d kept hidden and locked away into that kiss, arms moving to wrap around Craig’s neck as he let out a contented sigh.

He suddenly felt much lighter, all of his nerves melting away as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn’t have to hide anymore, or try to deny his feelings in fear of rejection; he could finally put everything on display and open himself up fully, knowing that the other would accept and return his feelings with open arms.

It all felt so surreal, and it all felt so…freeing.

They pulled back once again, each of them smiling brightly as they gazed at one another, knowing looks housed within both of their eyes. Everything finally made sense, and the understanding they’d gained from one another made everything feel much more real.

Thinking back over everything, Tweek couldn’t help but be in disbelief over how much they’d both misinterpreted the situation. They’d each been so strong in their beliefs that neither of them had even considered that maybe the other didn’t think the same way, and therefor never felt the need to actually bring it up, each for different reasons.

Tweek never brought it up because he was afraid of the answer, and Craig never brought it up because he thought that the answer was obvious. The realization that all of this could have been cleared up over some simple communication dawned on him, and he couldn’t help but find it funny.

He leaned forward, head falling to the older boy’s chest as he started laughing, shoulders shaking slightly. Craig was taken aback by the sudden shift in atmosphere, arms wrapping loosely around the younger’s waist as he looked down at the mess of blonde hair in confusion.

“What’s so funny?” He asked curiously, the sound of Tweek’s adorable laugh making him smile.

“I can’t believe I was so stupid!” The blonde’s voice wavered as he continued, the whole idea much funnier now than it was embarrassing, “All this time I was so worried about everything, but if I would have just _asked_ you then we could have cleared this up ages ago!”

Craig simply blinked for a moment as he continued to look down at the boy before him, smile widening as his shoulders started to shake as well, the other’s laugh proving contagious.

“I can’t believe I just assumed you knew what I was thinking,” Everything seemed much more humorous as he reflected over it as well, realizing that his own lack of communication only helped to fuel the problem, “I mean we never talked about it, so how could you have? It was just so obvious for me that I never even thought to bring it up.”

They both stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, wrapped in each other’s arms as their laughter mixed and filled the room. The air around them felt much lighter, all of the tension and doubt having completely dissipated and leaving nothing but happiness and understanding in their wake.

Finally the noise died down into soft chuckles and giggles, each of them pulling back to look at one another again, bright smiles glued to their faces.

“From now on, I want you to know that if you _ever_ hear _anyone_ say that my feelings for you aren’t real, they’re wrong. And if you ever start to doubt it,” Craig leaned forward once again, pressing a soft, sweet kiss to the other’s lips before pulling back, the pure emotion behind his eyes making Tweek’s heart skip a beat, “I’ll be here to prove it to you over and over again. Okay?”

Tweek hummed softly as he nodded, the older boy’s gaze making him believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that his words were true.

“Oh, and if you find out who said those things at the party,” Craig continued, tone growing a bit more serious as he brushed a few stray strands of hair from the other’s face, “I want you to tell me. I’d like to have a talk with them.”

Even though the words themselves were innocent, Tweek knew the connotation behind them well enough. Craig had always been very protective of him, especially when it came to others talking badly about him, and he’d never been afraid to speak his mind no matter who it was he was speaking it to.

The blonde thought for a moment before giving a small nod, knowing that the other wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He never did when it came to this kind of thing.

“Okay, I think that’s enough serious talk for one night,” The older boy pulled back completely as he went to stand up, stretching in place for a moment before offering his hand to help the other stand as well. Tweek gladly took it, pulling himself to his feet and wincing slightly, his lower back hurting from having sat there for so long.

It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how cold he was, the numbness finally seeming to wear off as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, shivering at the wet fabric that clung to his skin. As he looked forward, he noticed the dark blotches that now littered Craig’s clothes as well, a feeling of guilt overtaking him as he smiled apologetically.

“Oh geeze, Craig I-I’m sorry,” He couldn’t help but feel bad, the reality that the older boy had gone all that way out in the rain to find him finally setting in.

Craig glanced down at his now wet clothes before shaking his head, giving the other a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine,” He turned towards his dresser at that, pulling open some of the drawers and grabbing various items, “I’m more worried about you. You really need to put on some dry clothes, I don’t want you getting sick.”

He turned back after a few minutes, hand outstretched as he offered Tweek a fresh set of clothes. The younger gladly took them, watching as Craig pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side; he could feel his cheeks heat up and he quickly averted his eyes, shifting in his spot as a sudden feeling of awkwardness came over him.

“I’m uh…I-I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” He said suddenly, causing the other to look at him and quirk an eyebrow.

“Tweek, I’ve seen you naked at least a dozen times,” Craig said incredulously, the corners of his lips turning upwards as he grinned, “Don’t tell me you’re nervous now?”

“I-I know that, but—!” The blonde said in a rush, although he cut himself off as he glanced at the floor in embarrassment, trying to hide the ever growing blush the spread across his cheeks. It was true that this wouldn’t have been the first time he and Craig had ever changed in front of one another, but something about this was just…different.

Knowing that their relationship was actually real now, and knowing that the older boy actually had feelings for him made everything feel much more intimate. Not to mention that the feeling of Craig’s lips was still lingering in his mind, which definitely wasn’t helping the situation at all.

Craig shook his head as he chuckled softly, not wanting to make the younger any more nervous than he already was, “Okay, but if you’re not back in five minutes I’m coming in after you.”

Tweek’s face only flushed further at the obvious call out, mumbling a quiet “okay” before turning and making his way out of the room and over to the bathroom. It only took him a few minutes before he’d shed all of his wet clothes, using one of the towels that Craig had brought him to dry off before putting on the fresh set.

Wearing Craig’s clothes made him feel warm and calm, the older boy’s scent lingering on them and making him sigh deeply. He made his way back to the bedroom after getting cleaned up, shutting the door behind him with a soft ‘click’ as he stepped in from the hallway.

The other was already on the bed, the covers pulled down and an extra pillow next to his own as he sat with what appeared to be Stripe in his lap. Tweek simply stood in the middle of the room, feet planted firmly to the floor as he stared forward, eyes widening slightly as the realization hit him; every time he stayed over, Craig always made a point of trying to get him to sleep on the bed, but he would always refuse and make a bed on the floor instead.

Seeming to notice his hesitation, the older boy looked over knowingly, his gaze turning intense as he stared at the other.

“Oh no, don’t even think about it,” He started, already understanding what was going through the younger’s mind, “If you really think I’m about to let you sleep on the floor after everything that just happened, you are dead wrong.”

With that he flashed the other a smile as he patted the spot next to him, a look on his face that said he wasn’t going to be taking no for an answer this time.

Tweek continued to stand there and stare for several long moments before finally pushing himself forward with slow, hesitant steps. He stopped at the edge of the bed, glancing down at the empty spot being offered to him, almost as if he were afraid it would hurt him if he sat down.

“Tweek,” Craig urged him on, patting the spot again until finally the younger sat down, pulling his legs up off the floor to sit crisscross.

“Oh yeah, I made you some coffee,” He reached over the blonde to grab the mug off of the bedside table, offering it to him with a reassuring smile, “It might be kinda cold now though. I can heat it back up for you if you want?”

“N-no, that’s okay,” Tweek gave a small shake of his head as he smiled back, grasping the cup between his hands and taking a small sip, “It’s very good Craig, thank you.” He watched as the other used the remote to turn on the TV across from his bed, other hand resting on the small guinea pig in his lap as he pet it softly.

The blonde couldn’t help but smile at the familiar furry friend, one of his own hands reaching over to run his index finger along the soft, silky coat. Stripe let out a few small, high pitched squeaks before scrambling over into his own lap, taking Tweek a bit by surprise.

“Hey look, he recognizes me!” He smiled brightly as he continued to pet the little guy, the attention filling him with a sense of pride.

“Well of course he does, Stripe’s very smart,” Craig said matter-of-factly as he glanced over out of the corner of his eye, continuing to flip idly through the channels on the TV to try and find something interesting to watch, “There’s no way he’d forget his parents.”

Tweek nearly spit out his mouthful of coffee, forcing himself to swallow it quickly as he coughed a few times. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the statement, remembering that Craig had said something similar back in class earlier that day.

“What?” The older boy asked, once again smiling at the sound of Tweek’s laugh, “You’re the one that got him, after all. He’s both of ours.”

“Whatever you say Craig,” The blonde smiled back sweetly, cheeks tinted pink as he continued to pet Stripe and sip off of his coffee. A comfortable silence fell over them at that, Craig continuing to flip through the channels until finally he decided on what appeared to be re-runs of Red Racer. Tweek watched from the corner of his eye as the other propped a pillow up behind himself and laid back, using it for support so that he was still able to see the TV clearly.

The younger finished his coffee pretty quickly, setting the empty mug back on the nightstand as he continued to sit there, eyes glued to the screen ahead even though he wasn’t particularly paying attention to what was on. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself at that point, the lack of coffee to focus on reminding him of just how close he and Craig were to one another.

Tweek knew that it was kind of silly to be shy now, especially after he’d just had his first kiss of all things, but even so he couldn’t help but fidget awkwardly in his spot, fingers playing idly with the hem of the shirt he was wearing. He could feel the other’s eyes on him after a moment, but he didn’t look over, instead trying to pretend like he was actually engaged with the medication advertisement being shown on the TV.

“Tweek,” Craig said softly, finally grabbing the younger’s attention as blue eyes shifted over to look at him, “Aren’t you gonna lay down?”

“O-oh, uhm,” The blonde looked around for a moment, as if the thought hadn’t actually occurred to him until that point. Finally he picked Stripe up gently in his hands, not wanting to disturb him too much as he pulled his legs back to slide under the covers. He slowly laid back as well, setting Stripe back down and watching as he scrambled back to lay between the two of them, presumably because it was warm.

But even once he’d laid down, Tweek still couldn’t help but feel a bit tense as he laid there awkwardly; Craig must have noticed this, because he chuckled softly and shook his head in response.

“It’s okay, you can get comfortable,” The blonde didn’t even have time to react as an arm was wrapped under and around his waist, pulling him over so that his head came to rest on the other’s chest. He tensed up at the action, the suddenness of it catching him off guard; however, that tension faded away almost instantly as Craig’s hand came up, fingers running gently through his hair.

Tweek let out a deep sigh, the feeling sending a pleasant shiver down his spine as he relaxed into the other’s touch.

“I didn’t know you liked your hair being played with,” Craig remarked absently, more to himself than to the younger as his free hand moved to pet Stripe, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Tweek simply let out a soft hum in agreement, eyes falling closed as he nuzzled into the older boy’s chest. He’d never felt so comfortable and safe before, and it was a feeling he realized he never wanted to give up. Everything about Craig made him feel secure and cared for, something that he never would have even dreamed he would be able to experience in his life.

The two fell quiet, the soft sound of the TV and the muted storm outside being the only noises filling the room. Several long moments passed before Craig spoke up again, words pulling Tweek from the near hypnotic state he’d fallen into, having been lulled by both the older boy’s fingers in his hair and the sound of raindrops hitting the nearby window.

“Tweek, I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me.”

The statement made the younger glance up from his spot curiously, shifting after a moment so that he was propped up on his elbows, full attention now turned to the other.

“I want us to be able to be open with each other, ya know? I want to be someone you can always come to no matter what, someone you know is never gonna judge you over anything. And I never want you to feel like you have to hide how you feel around me, or be embarrassed or anything. I just want to make you happy.”

Tweek could feel his heart skip as he listened, the other’s words touching him deeply and making the corners of his lips turn up into a soft smile.

“Oh Craig,” He whispered, the older boy’s gentle gaze making his stomach flutter, “I want to be that person for you too.”

Several quiet moments passed between them at that, Craig’s eyes looking back and forth between Tweek’s own as a small, genuine smile spread across his face.

“You already are.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you, trying to find various ways to describe a guinea pig is a lot harder than you'd think.  
> Also, I wholeheartedly believe that Craig is the only person who can make Tweek calm enough to where he doesn't freak out or stutter when he talks, so if you're wondering why he just stops stuttering at some points, it's because he's no longer nervous or anything :)


	18. Strange Happenings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guys, hope everyone's doing well! Just wanted to give a quick note and say that this chapter is more additional than having to relate to the main storyline directly. We get a small bit of insight on Tweek's feelings towards Craig, and also get to see my precious boy give some very wise advice to a very concerned acquaintance.
> 
> Other than that, I just wanted to let you all know that the next chapter is gonna be getting into some pretty meaty stuff that I think a lot of you have been waiting to be addressed, so that's something to look forward to! I'm going to try and upload again soon, maybe even later again tonight or early tomorrow morning, just cause I'm pretty excited about this next one to be honest. But anyways, in the meantime I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter! Also please be sure to check the note at the end of the chapter, it's nothing super important but just a sort of disclaimer I wanted to throw out.
> 
> I hope everyone's having a great day/night, and I'll see you all in the next one!
> 
> SLATS~

The two boys simply laid together for a while, watching reruns of various shows and cartoons, and simply enjoying one another’s company.

Tweek wasn’t sure what time it was, but he knew that it had to have been getting pretty late, his eyelids gradually growing heavier and heavier as the seconds ticked by. Usually he didn’t sleep much during the night, and when he did he typically didn’t sleep well; however, something about the warmth and security of being in the older boy’s arms was slowly lulling him, making him fade in and out of consciousness.

And before he knew it, Tweek found himself drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep, his thoughts filled with nothing but the boy next to him.

* * *

 

The next couple of days, although altogether uneventful, brought a calm serenity after the turmoil of the party. The two stayed at Craig’s place the whole time, enjoying the days with a comfortable laziness as they watched TV and played their favorite video games. It was nice to simply be in one another’s company, the time also giving Tweek the opportunity to transition into this new phase of their relationship.

Even though they did the same things as before, it was a bit strange at first to get used to the new feeling of intimacy that came with them; after all, the blonde had never actually expected his feelings to be reciprocated, so everything still felt pretty surreal, as if it were all some dream he would wake up from at any moment.

But he slowly grew used to the idea that this was, in fact, reality, and with that he became more and more comfortable with both accepting and returning Craig’s affection. By the end of the weekend the two were practically inseparable, although now in a much deeper, meaningful way than they had been before.

With the situation now put into perspective, Tweek realized that while the older boy wasn’t exactly the best at expressing his emotions with words, he was both very willing and open about expressing himself physically.

Craig had always been a very touchy person when they were in public, always making a point of holding his hand or putting an arm around him, but the younger had always just assumed he did it to play up their ‘act’. Now he finally realized that the constant touches were Craig’s way of expressing how much he cared for the other.

Tweek had never been a very physical person, but with Craig it just felt natural, and he found himself enjoying the gestures more and more, no longer having to feel nervous or guilty about reciprocating them.

Finally the beginning of the week came, and although Tweek was reluctant to leave the safe haven he’d been enveloped in over the past few days, having the older boy by his side always made everything much more manageable. He’d stayed over again the previous night, mainly because Craig’s parents still weren’t back in town, and his own family had yet to contact him and tell him to come home.

They were practically glued to one another throughout the day, hands clasped and fingers laced whenever they were given the opportunity, as if they were each afraid they’d lose the other if one of them were to let go.

They’d just sat down for lunch, Craig’s arm wrapped around his waist per usual as they chatted idly with their friends; occasionally they would all sit with Cartman’s gang, but today they were sitting at a separate table with only Clyde, Token, and Jimmy. Even so, Tweek couldn’t help but notice the awkward atmosphere that hung over the aforementioned group, the tension in the air nearly palpable even from across the room.

He kept glancing over, curiosity peaked as he watched the interesting scene unfold; Cartman and Kyle were sitting on exact opposite ends of the table, and while that itself wasn’t completely out of the ordinary, it was the lack of any loud, obnoxious arguments that really came across as strange. Not to mention that Cartman was staring almost exclusively at the redhead, while Kyle was basically looking everywhere but, his eyes mainly glued to his food, even though he didn’t seem to actually be eating it.

Finally Tweek spoke up, too intrigued to let the odd scenario pass by without question.

“What’s going on with them?” He asked during a lull in the conversation, motioning over towards the other table as he looked to his friends curiously.

“D-didn’t’ you h-hear?” Jimmy asked as he looked back at the blonde in surprise, the disbelief in his voice only managing to intrigue him further.

“No that’s right, you two left before it happened,” Token chimed in, his tone practically mirroring Jimmy’s own as he took a quick glance over towards the other table.

“Before what happened?” Craig spoke up as well, his own interest seemingly peaked as he tuned into the conversation, “Did something go down at the party?”

“We played seven minutes in heaven after you left, and those two got stuck in the closet together,” Clyde explained with a slight gleam in his eyes, leaning forward as if he were telling the most fascinating story in the world, “They’ve been acting really weird ever since they came out, but they won’t talk about it with anyone. Apparently not even _Stan_ could get Kyle to tell him what happened in there.”

“Really?” Tweek couldn’t keep the shocked tone from seeping into his voice, eyes once again shifting back over to the strange scene as he stared curiously. Stan and Kyle had always been extremely close, and as far as he knew they talked about pretty much everything together, so the fact that the redhead refused to even talk to his best friend had to mean that whatever had happened in that closet had really shaken him up.

The blonde wondered briefly if maybe he should talk to the other about it, mainly to try and make sure he was okay, but he wasn’t sure if it was really any of his business. Not to mention he and Kyle weren’t particularly close by any means, so there was no guarantee the redhead would even want to talk to him at all, especially if he wouldn’t even talk to Stan of all people. Even so, Tweek couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of sympathy towards the other boy, his averted gaze and tense, uncomfortable posture all too familiar to the younger.

But he dropped the topic regardless of his curiosity, figuring that it would just be better to not get involved; after all, if he was meant to know what had happened, he figured that the truth would be presented to him of its own accord.

The day continued on pretty normally after that; it was the middle of recess, and Tweek was once again taking a break from playing with his friends, sitting idly by the jungle-gym as he watched Craig and the other’s run around and throw a football back and forth. He wasn’t much of a sportsy person overall, but he would usually play a few rounds with the guys for fun when they wanted to, although he often liked to break and simply enjoy the fresh air for a while.

He pulled himself up on one of the bars and sat there, gazing up at the sky as he watched the clouds drift lazily by; it was a bright and sunny day, the warm rays hitting his cheeks and making him sigh softly, eyes falling closed for a moment. It wasn’t until he felt someone’s presence next to him that his attention was brought back, eyes opening once more as he glanced over curiously.

Part of him had expected it to be Craig, so he was a bit surprised when his eyes landed on the familiar bright green hat and orange jacket, eyebrow raising as he looked at the boy now standing next to him. The other looked nervous, an almost reluctant look in his eyes as he stared back at the blonde, clearly having something that he wanted to say.

A few seconds of silence passed, and Tweek was about to ask what the other wanted when he finally spoke up, “Hey, can I uh…ask you something?”

“S-sure Kyle, what’s up?” Tweek asked interestedly, taking note of the other’s awkward demeanor, the same as he’d seen in the lunchroom. It wasn’t like the redhead to simply approach him like this, so he couldn’t help but be curious, wondering if it had something to do with what he’d heard earlier.

“Well, it's just...how did you know? That you were into Craig, I mean.” The question caught him completely off guard, blue eyes widening a bit as he stared at the other, taking a moment to process it.

Was he actually hearing this correctly? Maybe the two situations were completely unrelated, but it seemed like way too much of a coincidence, and if his brain were putting the puzzle pieces together right, it was hard to believe that Kyle was actually asking him this question.

Still, the fact that the other had actually approached _him_ said a lot, and Tweek realized that this was his opportunity to help in the exact way he’d wanted to earlier. He knew what it was like to go through that kind of anxiety, and the last thing he’d ever want was to wish that on another person, especially someone as nice and kind-hearted as Kyle.

“Well, th-there were a lot of things, I guess,” Tweek glanced back up towards the sky as he thought back, recollecting over when he first came to the realization that he actually had feelings for his friend, “He m-made me feel comfortable in a way that no one else could, a-and he was the only person that made me f-feel accepted for who I really was. He was a-always patient with me, and stuck by my side when no one else even wanted to t-try.”

He trailed off for a moment, his gaze falling to the older boy now circling through his thoughts, a soft smile coming to his lips, “I-I started thinking about him constantly, and I wanted to be around him a-all the time. At first I tried to ignore it, b-but eventually it got to the point where I just c-couldn’t anymore.”

Tweek suddenly realized that he was starting to ramble, a soft blush coming to his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck, attention breaking from Craig as he looked back to the boy next to him, “O-oh, sorry…I’m not sure if this is h-helping at all.”

“No, it is,” Kyle said after a moment, eyes staring off as if he were deep in thought. He let out a sigh, an almost relieved smile coming to his face as he looked at the blonde, “Thanks, Tweek.”

“Wait,” Kyle turned to leave at that, but Tweek called him back before he was able to, the redhead stopping to look over his shoulder curiously.

“Sometimes…well, s-sometimes people can like other people in different ways.” The words seemed to grab the other’s attention as he turned back around, an almost cautious look on his face as he took the few steps back over.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, s-sometimes feelings can express themselves in different ways. For instance, b-back when I first started feeling these things for Craig, I was in denial, a-and I didn’t know how to handle it. Because of that, I-I confused my feelings for anger and t-tried to convince myself that I hated him, all because I d-didn’t understand them.”

Tweek watched as the other’s eyes widened slightly, an almost panicked look flashing through them as he continued on with his explanation.

“S-so, say I knew someone who was constantly thinking about another person, and wh-whose actions revolved a lot around said person’s involvement i-in their life, to the point that it may even l-look kind of like an obsession from an outside perspective. In that case, I-I’d tell them to put aside the fact that their thoughts t-towards the person in question were negative, a-and instead reevaluate why it is they’re thinking of that person s-so much in the first place. Make sense?”

Kyle simply stared back at him at that, lips parted wordlessly as if he were having a hard time comprehending what was being said to him; or rather, as if he didn’t actually _want_ to comprehend it. Tweek knew that look all too well, and he couldn’t help but feel for the other, knowing exactly what kinds of conflicting thoughts must have been going through his head.

“Yeah, uhm…thanks,” The redhead spoke up after a few moments, the relieved look completely wiped from his features as he stared off, assumedly letting the other’s words sink in.

“Anytime, Kyle,” Tweek smiled knowingly as he waved the boy off, watching after him for a moment as he turned and made his way back in the direction he’d come from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again guys! I just wanted to make a quick note and say that if kyman isn't really your cup of tea, don't fret! Even if it's heavily hinted at, I don't plan on explicitly showing it at all, it'll just be talked about in passing. So no worries, this isn't going to turn into a kyman fic or anything! I'm just a big fan of it, so I wanted to kind of hint at it, also because I think it adds an interesting dynamic. It's nice to spice things up every once and awhile I think :) helps the other characters to feel less backgroundy by showing that they can go through their own turmoil too!


	19. Playing Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please read the note, there's something important I wanted to bring up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the delay! I know I said I would upload sooner, but yesterday ended up being a bit busier than I anticipated. With projects and studying for finals and everything going on right now, my schedule's a lot more hectic than usual, so I never really know when I'm going to have much free time. 
> 
> I know I mentioned that this next chapter was going to be the big important one, but as it turns out I ended up writing waaaaaay more for these next few scenes than I anticipated, and there's no way I can post it all in one because it's like ten pages. I'm gonna break it up instead, so it'll be a little bit longer before I put out that particular chapter I was talking about.
> 
> Also, there's something that I'd like to talk about real quick, and I know this might be a bit lengthy so please just bear with me. I knew that choosing to include kyman in this fic was going to be a hit or miss, because I know how divided the SP fandom can be on particular pairings. So I absolutely expected some people to not be into it, and that's okay! I tried to make this clear in the last one, but I feel like there might still be some confusion, so I'm gonna try and clarify a bit more. 
> 
> This fic is 110% a Creek fic. The kyman is only implied, so at most it can be considered a side pairing, but even that might be stretching it a bit. If it's not your thing then it's not your thing, there's nothing wrong with that! I know that not everyone is going to like every aspect about this fic, that's only natural, and I wholeheartedly respect everybody's opinions. But I do want to make a point and say that, first and foremost, I'm writing this fic for myself, because it's fun and it's something I get a lot of enjoyment out of. And being able to share my work and have other people enjoy it too is such an amazing thing in my opinion! You guys are all awesome, and all of your comments and support really do make me happy. But ultimately I'm going to continue writing what I enjoy, even if some of my readers may disagree or have differing opinions. 
> 
> So what I'm trying to say is, if you dislike kyman to the point that you can no longer enjoy the fic and decide to stop reading, while I'm very sad to see you go, I completely understand and I hope that you go on to find something that's much better suited to your preferences :) and if you do like kyman, or if you're sticking around simply because you enjoy the fic as a whole, I just wanted to say thank you for your continued support, and I hope that you continue to get as much enjoyment out of reading this fic as I do out of writing it. But no matter what, I love all of my readers, and even if you do decide to drop off here, just know how much I appreciate you being here until this point!
> 
> Anyways, that's all I wanted to say, sorry it was so long! And for those of you who are going to continue reading, without further ado I present to you the new chapter of The Book of Love! I hope that you all enjoy it, and I hope that everyone is having a great day/night!
> 
> SLATS~

Tweek hummed softly in amusement before turning his attention back to where Craig had been, only to find that the older boy was now approaching him.

“What was that about?” The other asked curiously as he stopped in front of him, eyebrow quirked in interest.

“Relationship advice,” Tweek answered simply as he shrugged, watching as the other rolled his eyes and chuckled a bit.

“Is it just me, or have you noticed that everyone comes to us for relationship advice now?” Craig asked rhetorically, hands held out to his sides for emphasis, “I swear both Token and Jimmy try to talk to me about that kind of stuff all the time now. It’s like, ever since we started dating, they seem to think I’m some magical relationship guru or something.”

He paused for a moment, a small grin coming to his lips as he moved to wrap his arms around the younger, gazing down at him sweetly, “I guess it makes sense, considering that I somehow managed to catch someone as amazing as you.”

“Craaaig, stop it!” Tweek said shyly, although the other’s words brought a bright smile to his face. The older boy pulled him forward, arms wrapped around his waist tightly and the other’s head resting on his shoulder as he let out a contented hum. Tweek returned the embrace, his own arms moving to wrap around Craig’s torso, the other’s body heat helping to fight off the heavy chill that hung in the air.

They stayed like that for a few moments, until Craig pulled back suddenly, a shocked look of disbelief on his face as he stared at the blonde wide-eyed.

“Wait a second, did you say ‘relationship advice’?”

It took Tweek a moment to register why the other seemed so surprised by this, but he nodded slowly as soon as he realized, “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Are you serious?” The older boy asked incredulously, seeming to piece two and two together, “Do you think that…?”

Even though he trailed off, the blonde already knew what he was trying to imply, “Well he didn’t actually say, so I can’t be sure, but…I think yeah, maybe.”

“ _Holy shit_.”

“Don’t say anything about it though,” Tweek urged, not wanting to betray Kyle’s obvious trust in him, “I think he’s having a pretty hard time with it.”

“Well yeah, I would be too,” Craig seemed to go off into thought for a moment, brow furrowing a bit as his lips pulled together discontentedly, “Damn, looks like I owe Kenny twenty bucks.”

“You guys bet on this?” Now it was Tweek’s turn to look at the other in disbelief, eyebrow raising in interest.

“Yeah, it was a while ago though,” The older boy continued as he shrugged nonchalantly, “Maybe he forgot about it.”

 

“Wouldn’t count on it.”

The sudden addition of a third voice made Tweek jump, wide eyes shooting over to see that the boy in question was now standing next to him. He wasn’t sure how or when he’d gotten there though, the fact that the other was able to sneak up on him so easily coming off as a slight concern. Had he always been that quiet?

“So, I take it you guys heard about what happened at the party?” Kenny asked with a slight grin, hands crossed casually in front of his chest as he eyed the noirette knowingly, “I think you know what that means.”

Tweek watched as Craig groaned and rolled his eyes, shoving his hand into one of his pockets and fishing around for a moment before pulling out a crumpled $20 bill and handing it reluctantly to the older blonde. Kenny snatched it up with a soft chuckle, attention suddenly turning to the younger as he smiled sweetly.

“Where’d you run off to?” He asked as he placed a hand gently on Tweek’s shoulder, the mere action making the atmosphere change almost instantly.

“Oh, I-I just—”

“Would you knock it off,” Craig interjected suddenly, voice low and filled with obvious frustration as he swatted the other’s hand away, “Your stupid ‘make Craig jealous’ scheme worked, okay? You can stop playing now.”

Kenny simply looked at the older boy quietly for a moment, an impish smirk slowly spreading across his face and a look of pure enjoyment flashing through his eyes.

“Who said I was playing?”

He then winked at Tweek before turning and sauntering away, clearly satisfied with himself as he hummed nonchalantly and walked off.

As soon as they were alone again, Tweek looked over to see Craig glaring after the other, an obviously displeased look in his eyes, “I swear to god I’m gonna kill him.”

The younger couldn’t deny that he was a bit surprised by Kenny’s statement, and he realized that it was becoming harder and harder for him to tell if this was all still a part of the act or not.

Even so, he placed his hands on Craig’s cheeks so that the other turned to look at him, the frustrated look fading almost instantly as Tweek gave him a reassuring smile, “It’s okay Craig, don’t let it get it to you. He’s just messing around, y-you know how Kenny is. Besides, he was the one who helped me realize that you actually liked me.”

Craig seemed almost taken aback by the statement, a curious look filling his eyes as he gazed down at the younger, “He did? How?”

“The r-reason I went over to his place that day was because I wanted to ask him for advice,” Tweek went on, figuring that there would be no harm in actually explaining what had happened, “He told me pretty much the same thing you told me, that you wouldn’t f-force yourself to be in a relationship you didn’t want. The whole reason he was trying to make you jealous at the party was because he wanted to prove to me that you actually cared.”

“Really?” Craig stared off in the direction Kenny had left in, letting out a soft hum as he thought for a moment; he and the older blonde had never really been super close, but they’d hung out on multiple occasions in the past, and he honestly enjoyed the other’s company and considered him to be a friend. Because of that, he couldn’t be completely mad at him, especially hearing that he’d been trying to help their relationship along.

Besides, Kenny had always been known as an extremely flirtatious person, to the point that he could often be seen flirting with even his closest friends; but even so, that didn’t excuse him of everything, and Craig couldn’t help but be jealous whenever he saw the other’s hands all over his boyfriend.

“I appreciate him trying to help, I really do. And don’t get me wrong, I _like_ Kenny, but I still think he’s actually into you,” Craig remarked absently, eyes narrowing ever so slightly in suspicion as he stared the boy in question down from across the field, “I just don’t want him to try and steal you away from me.”

“No one could ever steal me away from you,” Tweek smiled sweetly at the other’s honesty, once again turning the older boy’s gaze to meet with his own, “Besides, Kenny’s into a lot of people. Even if he _was_ into me, which I don’t think he is, I highly doubt he would ever actually try to act on it. He’s my friend and I trust him, I honestly don’t believe he would ever try anything to ruin our relationship.”

Craig looked back and forth between the blue eyes before him, his own gaze softening as he let out a small sigh. “Okay, you're probably right,” He finally agreed as he smiled back, all of his agitation melting away as he placed his hands on the younger’s hips and pulled him close, “But if he ever does try anything, I have every right to kick his ass.”

Tweek couldn’t help but laugh a bit as he shook his head, wrapping his own arms around the other’s torso and he buried his face in his shoulder, “O-okay, deal.”

The sound of the bell ringing met with his ears, and he pulled back after a moment to see all of the other students heading towards the building. While he was reluctant to part with Craig so soon, he knew that the sooner they got class over with, the sooner they would actually be able to spend more time together.

“Come on, let’s head back in,” Craig’s hand slid down into his own, their fingers lacing together as they began to make their way towards the cluster of people, ready and eager to finish off the rest of the school day.


	20. Where You Least Expect It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HEADS UP! This chapter contains more implied kyman, so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip ahead to the next one! This one's short, and nothing super substantial happens, so I promise you won't be missing anything really important. (You can go ahead and at least read the note though if you want!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rises from the Ether* Hello friends, it is I! Come to bring you new chapters! I know it's been a bit since I updated last, but as I said previously, it's finals week for me right now so my schedule is kinda all over the place. But, today is Wednesday my dudes, so I figured it would be the perfect time to update! And once again, you're getting two for the price of one! Partly because it's been a while since the last update, and partly because this chapter is pretty short and technically optional (if you don't wanna read about any kyman). Anyways, I'll talk more in the next one, so without further ado I hope you enjoy the new chapters of The Book of Love!
> 
> SLATS~

The school day went by pretty quickly, and before Tweek knew it the final bell was ringing. All of the students jumped excitedly from their seats, some hanging back to talk while everyone else rushed out into the hallway.

“Hey, I have to s-stop by my locker real quick,” The blonde said with a smile as Craig approached him, “I’ll come meet you in a few minutes, o-okay?” The older boy nodded as they walked out into the hall together, and Tweek leaned in to kiss him quickly on the cheek before turning and walking off, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he called back over his shoulder, “I-I’ll be right back!”

He made his way into the adjacent hallway and towards his locker, stopping to put in his combination before setting his books inside and rummaging around for a few minutes, gathering various things he thought he may need for that nights homework. Once he was finished, Tweek closed his locker back up and turned to head back in the direction he’d come from; that was, until he heard strange noises coming from a short ways down the hall.

The blonde stopped in place, ears straining as he tried to figure out what exactly it was he was hearing. He was relatively close to the boys’ bathroom, and he quickly realized that there was what sounded like yelling coming from inside, two voices going back and forth as if they were arguing over something.

Tweek looked over his shoulder curiously, eyes fixed to the door in confusion. Although the words were muffled, he could just barely make out a familiar voice shouting something along the lines of, “I can’t do this right now!”

He couldn’t quite pinpoint who exactly the voice belonged to, but he didn’t need to wonder long as the door suddenly flew open, the person in question coming out in a rush.

Tweek’s eyes widened when he saw Kyle, cheeks flushed and a look of pure distress on his face as he made his hasty exit. He could hear the other person yell after the redhead, and he immediately realized that the second voice belonged to Cartman.

“You can’t avoid this forever, Kahl!”

The boy was currently coming down his end of the hall, so Tweek quickly stepped out in front and put his hands up, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

“H-hey, is everything alright?” He asked, the concern clear in his voice as he stared at the other in slight shock. Kyle jumped back a bit, a look of panic flashing through his eyes as if he hadn’t even noticed the blonde’s presence until then.

“I…I-I can’t talk right now!” The redhead said frantically as he stepped to the side, words filled with a strong sense of urgency as he tried to move past the younger.

Tweek grabbed his sleeve before he could get too far though, the other’s attention snapping back as if he were a deer caught in headlights; he was very clearly trying to escape whatever situation he’d found himself in, and Tweek couldn’t help but feel his stomach knot empathetically.

“You have my number,” He said quickly, trying to convey his seriousness in as little time as possible, “I-If you need to talk, don’t be afraid to reach out to me, o-okay?”

Kyle seemed taken aback for a moment, but a look of grateful understanding soon filled his desperate eyes, and he gave a firm nod of agreement. Tweek let go at that and watched after the redhead as he rushed down the hall, eventually disappearing around the corner.

Not even a couple seconds had passed before Cartman stormed out in a huff, fists clenched and an irritated look on his face as his eyes darted around the hall. He immediately started making a beeline over when he saw the young blonde, gaze so intense that it caused Tweek to stagger back a bit.

“Where did he go?” The brunette asked bluntly, the tone in his voice suggesting that he wasn’t playing around. Even so, the younger tried to keep his words as level as possible, posture straightening as he stared the other down with a newfound resolve.

“Didn’t see him.” He said monotonously, although it was clear that they both knew it was an obvious lie.

“Oh don’t give me that shit, Tweek!” The older boy spat back angrily, eyes narrowing further as he flashed the other an extremely impatient glare, “I don’t have time for this!”

“Cartman, y-you need to calm down—”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” He interjected loudly, raised voice echoing through the hall and causing a couple of nearby students to look over in confusion, only to avert their gazes almost instantly, “I heard you say something to him god dammit, just tell me where he went! You don’t even have any idea what’s going on!”

“You’re right, I don’t,” An almost protective instinct kicked in, Tweek’s words flowing from his naturally as he stared the brunette down full-force, “B-but I do understand that whatever happened between you two, Kyle’s h-having a hard time dealing with it, and trying to force him to talk i-is just going to make things worse.”

“What?” Cartman’s eyes widened ever so slightly, an almost surprised look on his face that he quickly tried to mask with an exasperated roll of his eyes, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know a l-lot more than you might think,” Tweek continued to stand his ground, realizing that he was actually managing to keep the other’s attention, “If Kyle’s going through a h-hard time right now, pressuring him is j-just going to make him resist more, and you’ll just end up completely pushing him the other way. If you r-really want whatever this is to get resolved, y-you need to drop it and leave him alone. Otherwise you’re not going to get a-anywhere with him.”

Cartman just continued to stare at the younger, his surprised expression growing harder and harder to hide as Tweek spoke, until eventually it was completely clear. He simply stood wordlessly for a moment, mouth opening and closing several times before his brow furrowed deeply, eyes swimming with suspicious confusion.

“Why,” He started to say something but stopped for a moment, letting out a frustrated noise before continuing, “Why are you helping me?”

Tweek thought over the question, partially wondering himself why exactly he was trying to help. He was doing it almost exclusively for Kyle, because he suddenly felt a strange need to protect him from experiencing the same awful feelings he himself had to go through. But he wasn’t quite sure how to say that nicely without the other completely dismissing his words out of spite.

“Because, well…I-I guess it’s because I kind of get what he’s going through. To feel confused, a-and trapped…I’ve been there before, a-and I don’t like seeing anyone else in that place. Especially if it’s over something that can be e-easily avoided or worked out, you know?”

The older boy continued to watch him in silence, a thoughtful look crossing his face; at first he narrowed his eyes doubtfully, but his expression soon changed to a much more calm, although still annoyed one.

“Not really, but…I’ll try to keep that in mind.” With that he turned his attention back towards the end of the hallway, beginning to make his way in the direction Kyle had run off in; he stopped for a brief moment, looking back over his shoulder and offering a nonchalant “thanks” before continuing on and eventually leaving the younger’s sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat reasonable Eric Cartman? In MY fic?  
> It's more likely than you think ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	21. Fed Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE! If you decided to skip the last chapter, all you really need to know is that the school day ended, Tweek gave Cartman some advice, and is now on his way back from his locker. Just to make the beginning part a little more clear!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *claps hands together* Alright everyone! Who's ready to see Tweek lose his shit? I sure know I am (~˘▾˘)~  
> Back when I first decided to write this fic, I had several big scenes planned out that I built the rest of the story around. This, my friends, was one of the very first ones, so needless to say I've been waiting quite a bit to be able to post it, and I'm pretty excited. This was one of my favorite scenes to write so far, so I really hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did coming up with it!
> 
> Also, to any of you who are also going through finals hell right now, I just wanted to say good luck and that no matter how stressful it may be, I know that you'll make it through! I believe in you all 110% :) you guys are all wonderful and I wish you nothing but the best <3 no matter if it be on projects, presentations, papers, exams or what have you, you've got this!! 
> 
> I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to upload is, because I'm finishing finals and then immediately flying home to see my family afterwards for break, but I promise I'll try not to keep you waiting too long! Anyways, that's enough talk for now I think. I hope that everyone enjoys the new chapter, and I hope that you're all having great days/nights!!
> 
> SLATS~

Tweek let out a deep sigh once he was alone, hand placed firmly against the door of his locker as he tried to give himself a moment to collect his thoughts. He wasn’t used to giving advice, and he _especially_ wasn’t used to being assertive, but when it came to Cartman that was really the only way to talk to him if you actually wanted to get anywhere.

His nerves felt kind of shot from the odd exchange, both with Kyle and with the obnoxious brunette, but he tried his best to brush it off before heading back in the direction he’d come from. He told Craig that he’d only be a few minutes after all, so he figured that the other was probably wondering where he was right about now.

As Tweek turned the corner, his eyes landed on the boy he was looking for almost immediately, finding him standing at his own locker a ways down the hall. He was currently putting something inside, so the blonde began making his way over, not wanting to keep him waiting any longer.

However, he couldn’t help but pause in his tracks when he saw someone _else_ approaching Craig, a girl with dark brown hair that he didn’t quite recognize.

“Hey Craig,” He could hear faintly from across the hall, the sounds of other students’ conversations making the words a bit difficult to make out, “Why’d you disappear from the party so soon the other night?”

“I had more important things to do,” Craig responded disinterestedly, not even bothering to look at the girl as he continued rummaging around in his locker.

“That’s too bad,” She continued, clearly not phased at all by the other’s complete lack of investment in her presence there, “I was really hoping we’d get to hang out some more!”

Wait a second…Tweek recognized that voice.

An icy jolt shot through his body, completely freezing him in place as he stared on, the realization clicking together in his mind. A cold feeling suddenly filled his chest, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared, and in its was left a fiery heat that made his teeth clench and his fists ball up tightly. His feet started moving of their own accord, pace quickening as they urged him across the hallway, the gap between him and his target growing smaller and smaller with each passing second.

All of his nerves were alight with anger, the intensity of his emotions so great that he literally couldn’t think of anything else, eyes not straying from the girl for even a second as he approached her.

“ _Speaking_ of hanging out, I was wondering if you wanted to—?”

Tweek stepped between Craig and the girl abruptly, narrow gaze fixed to her own as he flashed her a dark, penetrating glare, the mere power behind it seeming to make all of the words dry up in her throat.

“You better stay away from my boyfriend, you _bitch_.”

The blonde’s voice held a low, threatening tone, the words completely taking the unfamiliar girl aback as her eyes went wide in shock. Her mouth simply hung open for a few seconds as she gawked, clearly having a hard time registering what exactly was happening.

“ _Tweek_?” Craig spoke up from behind him, and although he was turned away from the other, he could hear the absolute disbelief in the older boy’s voice.

“Wha—” The girl seemed to regain her senses after a moment of stunned silence, a look of irritated embarrassment flashing through her eyes as she said matter-of-factly, “Uhm excuse me, but I can talk to him if I want. You don’t _own_ him.”

“No, I don’t,” Tweek continued, words laced with venom as he continued to stare her down, “But if you actually think I don’t know what you’re trying to do, you must _really_ be stupid.”

She let out an appalled gasp, eyes darting past him to who he could only assume was a wordless Craig, “A-are you really going to let him talk to me like that?”

“Oh no, you’re not talking to him,” The blonde took a step forward, the action jarring the girl back in an attempt to keep him from getting up in her face, “You’re talking to _me_ now. Something you were _clearly_ too chicken-shit to do back at the party.”

Her eyes filled with panic, gaze shifting over to Craig very quickly before looking back at the furious blonde before her, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Oh really?” Tweek’s eyebrow raised as he crossed his arms over his chest, voice filled with mocking exasperation as he repeated what he’d heard the other night, “’There’s no way someone as cool as Craig would actually have feelings for that freak.’ ‘He probably doesn’t even want to think about touching that little weirdo, I know _I_ wouldn’t.’ Sound familiar?”

“ _What_?” Craig’s voice sounded from behind him again, the surprise quickly giving way to anger. The blonde hadn’t even noticed the crowd that had begun to amass until then, all of the other students gathered around as they watched the scene unfold in shock and awe.

“Go on,” Tweek urged, arms held out to his sides for emphasis as he motioned around to the mass of onlookers, “Tell _eeeveryone_ here about your dreams of becoming a two-faced homewrecker! I’m sure they’d all _love_ to hear about it.”

The brunette opened her mouth to offer a retort, but all of the words seemed to catch in her throat, the only things leaving her being more appalled and angry noises.

Finally she seemed to catch herself again, wide eyes filled with a self-righteousness as she spat back, “It’s not like I was wrong! Your relationship is obviously just for show, right Craig? Just go ahead and say it! We all know it’s true!”

A heavy silence fell over them all for several seconds, and Tweek could practically feel the dark, furious aura radiating off of the boy behind him. Craig suddenly stepped past them both and into the middle of the hallway, arms thrown up dramatically to grab the attention of all of the other students.

“Okay everybody, listen up!” His voice was sharp and serious as he shouted out, and if any one hadn’t been paying attention to the chaotic scene unfolding, they definitely were now, “I want it on record, right here and now, that nothing, and I mean _nothing_ about Tweek and I’s relationship is fake! And if I hear _any_ of you trying to say otherwise, I will personally kick each and _every_ one of your asses!”

Craig then turned back towards the brunette and pointed at her, eyes narrowing as he spoke lowly, “And that _especially_ goes for you. If I _ever_ hear that you’ve been talking shit about my boyfriend again, I will kick the absolute _shit_ out of you, I don’t’ care who you are. You got that?”

The girl was completely taken aback, a look on her face that showed she clearly had no idea how to respond. Her wide eyes darted around the surrounding sea of faces, cheeks red hot as she let out an angry, embarrassed growl.

“Are you serious right now?! You can’t honestly tell me that you’re actually _in_ to him! You guys never even kiss!”

For the first time since the whole thing began, Tweek and Craig looked at one another. Their eyes locked, a look of silent understanding passing between them.

Craig stepped up to the blonde with newfound resolve, his movements filled with purpose as his hands grasped the other’s waist. At the same time, Tweek wrapped his arms tightly around the older boy’s neck, fingers sliding under his hat to tangle in the soft black locks hidden beneath.

They pulled one another forward without another word, the sounds of cheers and whistles filling the air as their lips collided. Their attention was solely focused on one another as they kissed passionately, not even caring about the dozens of eyes that were watching them. It was intense and fervid and  _oh so good_ , Tweek's back arching forward as he dipped slightly from the mere force behind it. 

Several long moments passed before they pulled back slowly, stopping to simply gaze at one another before looking over at the stunned brunette, a look of absolute horror plastered across her face.

Keeping their arms around one another, they each flipped her off simultaneously, her flustered reaction only making it all the more worth it.

“I-I don’t need to take this shit!” She yelled in an irritated huff as her hands balled into fists, clearly at a loss for any sort of witty retort, “You two are crazy!”

With that she stormed forward, the loud stomp of her feet echoing through the hall as she moved right passed them and headed straight for the exit, throwing open the doors and leaving in a dramatic display.

The hallway fell quiet at that as the tension began to dissipate from the air, and after a few minutes everyone around them started cheering again, the scene leaving them in a state of shocked amazement.

It wasn’t until that moment that Tweek began to feel the stares of all of the other students, the adrenaline fading from his system and leaving his nerves completely shot.

All of the attention, along with the reality of what he’d just done practically smacked him in the face, his anxiety spiking to a near overwhelming level as he began to tremble fiercely. He could feel his heart pounding hard against his chest, the air beginning to leave him in rapid, shallow breaths, and he was suddenly stricken with nothing but the intense need to escape the situation as soon as possible.

“I…” The words got caught in his throat for a moment, thoughts becoming hectic and jumbled to the point that they were nearly incoherent, “I-I need to leave!”

He yanked back suddenly, the action leaving Craig stunned, and without thinking Tweek grabbed the older boy’s arm and bolted for the exit. He rushed out frantically as he dragged the other along, strings of incoherent, panicked rambling leaving him as he ran with only one destination in mind. Craig struggled to keep up with him at first, too shocked to ask where they were going, or even really comprehend what was happening at all.

It wasn’t until they reached the dirt path that he realized where the blonde was taking him, the glistening water of the pond just visible through the trees.

Tweek didn’t even slow as he approached his destination, simply coming to an abrupt stop once he reached the familiar tree. Only then did he let go of Craig’s arm, one of his hands pressed up to the bark as he hunched over, trying desperately to bring some much needed air into his lungs.

Craig had to take a moment to catch his breath as well, hands placed on his knees as he leaned forward, each intake of the frigid air stinging at his throat. Their loud panting gradually began to die down as the seconds ticked by, until finally they managed to calm down. Or well, Craig did, at least.

“Oh Jesus!!” Tweek shouted out suddenly, the outburst causing the older boy to jump a bit, “W-what the hell is wrong with me!?” The blonde stumbled back slightly as he straightened up, hands flying up to cover his face, “GAH!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT!!

“Craig! I-I’m so, SO sorry!” He continued on, feelings of panic and self-loathing crashing over him in a wave as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, fingers digging into and pulling at his hair, “I-I don’t know what came over me, I-I DIDN’T—!!”

“Tweek, hey!” Craig snapped back to reality as he finally managed to gather his senses, hands darting up to grasp the younger’s own and move them away from his hair, trying to keep him from pulling any of it out, “Everything’s okay, calm do—”

“Everything is NOT OKAY!!” The blonde refused to open his eyes, head falling a bit as he tried to yank his hands back, only for the other’s grip on them to tighten, effectively holding him in place, “D-did you _SEE_ what I did back there?! H-how could I _do_ something like that?!”

“Tweek, you were _amazing_!”

Tweek’s eyes shot back open at the words, a look of pure disbelief crossing his face as he stared at the other in shock, “W-what?! Craig, h-how is that—!?”

“I’ve _never_ seen you stand up to anyone like that before, babe!” Craig’s eyes were completely lit up, the elated look within them only managing to further the blonde’s confusion, “I’m so proud of you!”

Tweek simply blinked for a moment, the words echoing in his head and making his heart skip.

“You…y-you are?”

“Of _course_ I am, Tweek!” Craig’s hands went to cup the younger’s blush stained cheeks as he moved forward suddenly, lips crashing down into the slightly parted ones before him.

Tweek let out a surprised noise as he stumbled back, the mere intensity of it making his back hit the tree behind him. For the first few seconds he was completely stunned as Craig kissed him, the other’s lips connecting with his own once, twice, three times until his head was spinning. His fingers dug into the older boy’s shirt as he tried desperately to ground himself, all of the breath completely stolen from him and making him feel light headed.

Craig pulled back only a small bit after a few moments, their foreheads pressed together and his breath continuing to ghost across Tweek’s lips as he whispered, “I love you so much.”

The blonde’s heart felt as though it had completely stopped, his breath hitching loudly as his eyes went wide. His words held an almost reluctant tone as he spoke, clinging to Craig’s shirt tightly as if he were afraid of what would happen if he let go, “…y-you what?”

“I love you, Tweek,” A soft smile came to the older boy’s lips as he gazed into the other’s eyes, his words gentle yet filled with an intense resolve, “I’m in love with you.”

A deep, shaky breath left the younger’s lips as he stared forward, voice wavering and vision beginning to blur as he became overwhelmed with emotion, “I…I-I love you too, Craig…”

Craig’s smile turned bittersweet as pulled back slightly, thumbs rubbing back and forth to catch the tears that began to fall, “Tweek, honey, why are you crying?”

“I-I just…” The words seemed to catch in his throat for a moment as he took a deep breath, sniffling quietly to try and calm the quivering in his voice, “I n-never thought I would get to h-hear you say that…”

“Oh Tweek,” Craig said softly as he moved to wrap his arms around the younger, pulling him into a tight embrace as one of his hands rested on the back of the blonde’s messy locks, “I hope you’re ready to hear it much more often now…because I’m never letting you go.”


	22. Don't Ever Forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope that finals went well for any of you that had them, and if you're on break now like I am, I hope that you have a fantastic time! Since I'm back home now for the holidays, I haven't really had much time to work on the fic. Things are kinda busy, but I'm still writing when i can, and I'll try not to take too long before the next update!
> 
> This ones short and sweet, but I hope that you all enjoy it regardless! The next one I have planned out is gonna be longer, and I'm gonna try my best to put it out towards the end of the week or the weekend, so look forward to that! And thanks again for all of the awesome comments on the last one, I was really happy to see you guys enjoy it so much :)
> 
> Oh and I'm uploading this off of my tablet right now, which I've never done before. Everything seems okay, but if there are any format issues or anything like that, please let me know!
> 
> SLATS~

The two sat underneath the tree for a while, Tweek’s back pressed to the wood while Craig sat beside him, their fingers laced together. The blonde’s frayed nerves had yet to recover completely, so they decided to stay there until he was feeling better, the older boy knowing that that place was very calming for him.

  
They were chatting idly when the noirette suddenly got an idea, head perking up a bit as he began to stand, the action catching the younger’s attention.

  
“What’s up?” Tweek asked curiously, eyes following the other’s movements as he tilted his head slightly. Craig offered his hands, and the blonde realized that he was being asked to stand as well, so he accepted the support and pulled himself to his feet.

  
As soon as he was up, the older boy brought his hands to his shoulders and moved him gently; Craig placed himself between Tweek and the tree, a knowing smile on his face that only further piqued the other’s interest.

  
“Hold on,” Craig fished around in his pocket for a moment before pulling something out, but he turned his back before the younger was able to see what he had in his hand. Tweek simply watched on in confusion, eyebrow raised as the older boy began doing something to the tree, but effectively blocking it from his view with the way he was standing.

  
“Craig, what are you—?”

  
“Almost finished,” The other mumbled more to himself than to Tweek, turning at a few different angles while still managing to hide his antics from younger’s sight. Knowing the he wasn’t getting anywhere, Tweek simply stood there patiently, waiting to see whatever it was his boyfriend wanted to show him.

  
Craig came to a stop after a few minutes, that same smile still gracing his lips as he took a quick glance back at the blonde before finally stepping to the side.

  
Tweek’s confusion faded instantly, eyes lighting up as he stared at the tree in awe. He couldn’t keep the bright, elated smile from spreading across his face, gaze shifting back and forth between Craig and the sight before him. There, carved into the bark of the tree was a heart, their first initials written in the middle and connected by a plus.

  
“Craig…” The other’s name left him in barely a whisper, hands placed together in front of his face as a light blush spread across his cheeks, “I love it.” He stepped forward at that, arms wrapping tightly around the older boy’s chest as he hugged him close, forehead resting on his shoulder.

  
Craig returned the embrace as he held the blonde tightly, a sweet smile on his lips as he pressed a small kiss to the top of the boy’s hair.

  
“Every time you come here, I want you to look at this,” He started, gazing tenderly into Tweek’s eyes when the other looked up at him, “I want you to look and remember how much I love you, and know that I’ll always be here for you. I never want you to feel alone, Tweek.

  
“I know that I’m not always the greatest with emotional stuff, and sometimes I have a hard time giving you what you need, but I need you to know that I’ll always do my best to help you through anything, I promise you that. So if you ever come here when you’re sad or upset, or you feel lost and don’t know where to turn, just think of me and know how much I care about you, okay?”

  
Tweek simply looked up at the other for a moment, the words leaving him momentarily speechless. “You know Craig,” He finally gathered his thoughts, smile widening as he leaned up a bit, “For someone who’s supposed to be bad with words, you sure know how to say just the right things all the time.” With that he caught the older boy’s lips with his own, giving him a soft, chaste kiss before pulling away again.

  
“I say everything from the heart,” Craig assured as they separated completely, eyes not straying from the younger as he smiled gently and shrugged, “Being with you just…inspires me, I guess.”

  
The two didn’t stay parted long, their hands immediately finding one another’s as their fingers laced together. Tweek turned to look back at the tree, letting out a contented sigh as he squeezed his the other’s hand gently in his own.

  
“We should probably head back,” Craig started, the two of them beginning to walk back in the direction of town when Tweek nodded in agreement, “My parents are probably wondering where I am right about now.”

  
Out of the corner of his eyes, the older boy could have sworn he caught Tweek’s expression fall, his brow furrowing and a sad light filling his eyes as he glanced downward. The look was gone just as soon as it had appeared, but even so, Craig knew that he hadn’t imagined what he saw.

  
This was a look he saw much more often recently, although the blonde always tried to hide it, and if he ever tried to bring it up Tweek would just pretend he didn’t know what he was talking about.

  
At first Craig couldn’t quite place what it meant, but over time those downcast eyes began to make sense to him; especially considering Tweek wore that expression almost exclusively when the older boy talked about his own parents.

  
“Hey,” Craig spoke up, giving his boyfriend’s hand a firm squeeze as he glanced over knowingly, “Do you wanna come by, maybe stay for dinner? I’m sure my parents would love to see you, they ask about you all the time.”

  
“R-really?” Tweek’s eyes suddenly lit up as he glanced over at the other, simply looking at him quietly for a moment. Something seemed to click in the back of his mind at that, a small smile coming to his lips when he realized what Craig was trying to do.

  
It wasn’t something they ever talked about, maybe because neither of them ever really felt the need to; instead, it was something that was just understood between them, and at moments like these, Tweek couldn’t have been more thankful to have someone so wonderful and caring in his life.

  
Even if Craig didn’t always say exactly what he was thinking, his gestures always managed to speak much louder than his words ever could.

  
“Yeah, I’d like that.”


	23. The Split

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope everyone's having a good day/night :) I wanted to go ahead and post this tonight, because I probably won't be able to post anything for the next several days, with the holidays and all. I'm getting ready to go see my family tomorrow, so I'll probably be MIA until sometime later next week. But as I said, this chapter is definitely longer than what you're used to, so hopefully that'll help make up for the gap! Oh, and I know that the spacing is kinda weird, but sadly there's nothing i can do to fix it, that's just the way that my tablet posts it for some reason.
> 
> Anyways, without further ado, here's the new chapter! And once again, I hope that everyone has a fun, stressfree holiday!
> 
> SLATS~

Everything was perfect.

With all of their emotions out in the open, and no anxieties or fears left to hinder them, Tweek and Craig’s relationship thrived. Ever since the situation that had actually managed to solidify their feelings for one another, things honestly couldn’t have been better.

Even though they’d already spend most of their time together beforehand, things between them were much different now. Not really in the way they acted per say; they were still equally as affectionate as before, but it was the feeling behind the gestures that really made the difference.

Not to mention they’d added kissing into the mix after the night of the party. At first Tweek had been reluctant and somewhat shy to do it in public, just as he had been when they first started holding hands, or when Craig first started calling him by pet names.

But, just as it had been in the past, as time went on he became more and more comfortable with the new display of affection. And no matter how many times they did it, the electricity when their lips connected and the butterflies in his stomach never managed to fade.

And as the days went by, just like everything else, it became second nature. Everything with Craig just felt so natural and so...right. Before he knew it, he and his boyfriend were steadily approaching their second year anniversary, and Tweek couldn’t have been happier.

That was, until things weren’t so perfect anymore.

It all started when Cartman had gathered some of their friends and created as sort of Super Hero League, better known as “Coon and Friends.” After some time, he’d come to Craig and asked him to join as well, explaining that he was attempting to create his own super hero franchise, and promising fame and riches as the ultimate payoff.

The first several times the brunette had come to him, Craig declined. It wasn’t until about the dozenth or so offer that he finally accepted, although Tweek could never be sure if this was because the concept actually interested him, or simply because he wanted to get the other off of his back. However, his acceptance was conditional; if Craig were to join their “gang”, Cartman had to also offer a spot to Tweek, and accept him into the franchise as well.

Cartman reluctantly accepted, mainly because he didn’t really have a choice if he wanted the noirette to join him. So, once the deal had been arranged, Craig and Tweek set about creating their super hero personas.

It was decided almost instantly by them that they would work as a pair, even going as far as to have a “special attack” that could only be performed together. Craig had even been kind enough to lend the blonde one of his jackets for a costume, so that their outfits would somewhat match one another.

Interestingly enough, the older boy had put way more time into helping Tweek make his costume than he did working on his own, which the other had found to be really cute at the time.

Craig’s costume simply consisted of his regular outfit with a red “S” drawn on a blank piece of paper attached to his chest, while Tweek’s costume was a bit more elaborate and put-together. They even chose the names “Super Craig” and “Wonder Tweek,” further solidifying their role as a duo.

In the beginning, everything was fine. Great, even. Being a part of a group was fun, and it definitely gave them something entertaining to do.

And even though they started off with very small tasks, being able to fight crime and help people in need was a good feeling.

Things continued on smoothly for quite some time; and then came that damn franchise plan.

Cartman, or well, “The Coon,” created a timeline of movies, TV shows and such that would be released in order to help their group grow in popularity, as well as actually legitimize them as a real super hero franchise. However, the reveal of this plan was, well…less than positively received, to put it simply.

It was clear that preferential treatment was being shown to some of the heroes, and the others understandably felt that they weren’t being treated fairly. And just as fate would have it, Tweek and Craig had found themselves on opposites sides of the argument.

And just like that, for the third time Tweek watched as everything he’d come to know and rely on came crashing down around him.

When a few of the others started an uproar over the unfair treatment, Wonder Tweek, feeling unappreciated, joined in with their attempts to push for equality and justice. This ended up causing a split in their group, when Kenny, Stan, Token and Timmy decided that they were going to create their own super hero franchise, declaring that they would reach popularity much faster than Coon and Friends.

Initially, Tweek assumed that Craig would stand up for him and walk out as well; but as it turned out, the promise of three separate movies of his own was enough to keep him at Cartman’s side, much to the blonde’s shock. He could vividly remember looking back over his shoulder as he walked up those basement stairs, dejected blue eyes landing on the back of the older boy’s head.

Craig didn’t even turn to look at him as he left.

That night, he sent the other a very long text, demanding to know exactly why it was he decided to stay behind. Tweek was hurt and confused; he couldn’t for the life of him understand Craig’s reasoning for sticking by someone he supposedly hated, rather than staying by his own boyfriend’s side.

This resulted in a pretty lengthy argument, one that eventually led the younger to toss his phone aside in a fit of anger. It was like Craig wasn’t even trying to understand where he was coming from, and that only managed to frustrate him further. But then again, he couldn’t understand where Craig was coming from, either.

A day passed without word from the noirette, and then another. When the beginning of the following week rolled around and it was time to return to school, Tweek was disheartened to find that Craig was basically flat out avoiding him. He just seemed annoyed all throughout the day, and that only furthered the blonde’s own anger.

It pained him to no end to see the other so upset with him, and there were plenty of times where he wanted to apologize, or at least try to talk it out a bit more. They’d both been pretty riled up during their fight, and some things were said on both sides that probably shouldn’t have been. But even so, Tweek couldn’t actually bring himself to approach the older boy first.

After all, he felt betrayed over the whole situation. He’d expected Craig, of all people, to stick up for him and stand by his side. So when the other didn’t, he couldn’t help but wonder why; and wondering had never really been Tweek’s strong suit, considering that his paranoid brain always managed to come up with the worst-case-scenario.

The days continued to go by, and things only managed to get worse. But unlike in the past, Tweek didn’t let the hurt he felt cause him to shut down. Instead he turned it to anger, because the anger gave him something tangible to focus on, something to keep him driving forward. Because in the back of his mind, he knew that the moment he would actually stop and let everything sink in would be the moment he would break down completely.

So he and the others who had left Carman’s group continued on with their own franchise plan, naming themselves the “Freedom Pals” and setting about stopping crime before Coon and Friends had a chance to. At first, keeping up with the whole super hero act felt kind of pointless without Craig around; after all, the only reason he’d done it in the first place was because his boyfriend had demanded he be offered a spot in the group as well.

But once again, it was something for him to focus on; something to keep him sane. He stuck around mainly out of spite, because going against Craig and the others directly was oddly satisfying, like he was winning in some way. Not to mention it gave him something to actually take his pained emotions out on.

And for a while, it worked.

Focusing his attention solely on the group helped to take his mind off of everything else, which in turn helped him to bury his hurt feelings and try to push Craig as far from his thoughts as possible.

It wasn’t until about a week after the incident that Tweek realized his plan of flat-out avoiding his problems wasn’t going to work forever.

The Freedom pals had just had an encounter with a few members of Coon and Friends, which had of course ended up in a fight. They ultimately came out victorious, as the others were outnumbered by one; however, just as they were beginning to part ways, Tweek was unexpectedly pulled to the side by Human Kite.

After he’d given Kyle advice all that time ago, the other began texting him on a regular basis, and the two had actually grown to be pretty close friends in the weeks that followed. So, while it wasn’t at all out of the ordinary for the redhead to want to talk to him, it was the concerned look in his eyes that really gave Tweek pause; especially considering they were currently in the role of their super hero personas, and were therefor supposed to be "enemies."

“Hey dude,” Kyle grasped the blonde’s arm gently and pulled him to the side, stopping him as the others dispersed and continued on their way, “Can I talk to you for a second? Not as Human Kite, just as me."

“S-sure Kyle,” Tweek said in slight confusion, eyebrow raised as he turned his full attention to the other, “What’s up?"

“Well, I just…I wanted to see how you’re doing."

It was immediately clear what the redhead was referring to, but Tweek pretended to be oblivious all the same, “I-I’m okay, why?"

“Tweek,” Kyle let out a soft sigh as he dropped his arm back to his side, a knowing look in his eyes as he stared at the other, “Come on, I know you and Craig haven’t been talking since this whole thing started. You guys were together all the time before, I know this must be hard on you. I’m just…I’m worried about you, okay? Even if we are on opposite sides of this, you know you can always talk to me, right?"

Tweek couldn’t help but make a face at the mention of Craig’s name, his shoulders falling a bit as his eyes dropped to the pavement below. It was bad enough that he had to hear this from Kenny, but getting it from Kyle too really brought the memory of the fight fresh into his mind.

“I’m fine, Kyle.” He started again, trying his best to sound nonchalant as he looked back at the other, although the dejected tone in his voice was hard to hide, “Besides, i-it’s not like it really matters…I think that was made p-pretty clear."

A heavy silence fell over them as Kyle glanced off to the side, a small frown tugging at the corners of his lips.

“You know,” He started again after a few moments, his words catching the blonde’s attention, “He asks about you all the time."

“He…h-he does?” Tweek couldn’t keep the slightly hopeful tone from seeping into his voice as he looked at his friend, head perking up a bit.

“Yeah,” Kyle gave a small, reassuring smile, arms crossed casually over his chest as he nodded, “He always wants to know if I’ve talked to you, and he always seems relieved whenever I tell him I have. He asks how you’re doing a lot, too."

Tweek simply stared at the other for a moment as he ran the words over in his mind. Was it possible that Craig…was actually worried about him? But if he was, why didn’t he come talk to him directly? Why continue to dodge him every chance he got?

While the thought made him feel hopeful, it was more bittersweet than anything, and he couldn’t help but smile sadly as he once again cast his gaze downward.

“N-none of that matters now…” Tweek let out a small sigh as he shook his head, trying his best to give his friend a genuine looking smile, but knowing full-well that it came across as empty as he actually felt, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do Kyle, I really do, but..." He paused for a moment and looked away, voice wavering slightly and words coming out much more strained than he would have liked, “I-it’s no use now. Craig, he…h-he doesn’t want to be with me anymore, and I just…I-I need to come to terms with that."

With that, the blonde turned and began walking away, wanting nothing more than to do something, anything to get his mind off of the whole thing. Thinking about it was growing harder and harder, and the more anyone tried to bring it up to him, the more he felt like he would break into tears at any given moment.

“Tweek, wait!” Kyle tried to call after him as he left, but the blonde only continued forward without stopping to look back, and he was out of earshot in a matter of seconds.

“Dammit.” The redhead sighed as he turned as well, beginning to make his way in the direction his friends had gone in. He wanted to make Tweek feel better, not make things worse; but he wasn’t really sure what help he could offer in this sort of situation, as much as he may have wanted to do something.

But little did either of them know that someone else had been listening in on the conversation; someone who couldn’t continue to sit idly by and watch a person he cared for get hurt.

He’d been trying his best to give the blonde space, and to let things get sorted out on their own; he didn’t like interfering unless asked to, or if absolutely necessary, but considering that things were only seeming to get worse, he wasn’t really left with much of a choice. And at that moment, he knew that he couldn’t let this go on any longer.

It was clear that helping this time was going to take a more direct approach, but he had to do something.

After all, sometimes all people really needed was a push in the right direction.


	24. Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope everyone's been having a happy holidays :) I'm back from visiting with my family now, so I'll probably have a little more time on my hands until the start of next semester. I can't make any promises, but I'm going to try to get back on a more regular upload schedule. Either way, as always, I'll try not to take too long between updates!
> 
> Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter! This is the point that things divirge from the canon timeline, because I'm going to start taking things in a new direction. Got another one that I'll probably post here towards the end of the weekend or the beginning of next week. If I'm not able to update before Sunday, I hope that you all have a wonderful New Years! And without further ado, here is the new chapter of The Book of Love!
> 
> SLATS~

Things couldn’t go on like this.

That was the one thought that swarmed through the boy’s mind as he approached the familiar home, making a point to knock loudly on the door several times until he got an answer. The confused noirette stared out at him as he swung the door open, clearly not having expected to see him there.

“Kenny?” He said in surprise, a look between suspicion and pure bewilderment crossing his features, “What are you—?"

“We need to talk.” The blonde cut him off as he pushed past the confused boy and into the house, not bothering to give an explanation before making his way inside.

Craig simply fell quite for a moment as he stared after the other, not really understanding what was going on or why Kenny wanted to speak with him all of the sudden. Still, he closed the door once he was inside regardless, turning to face him as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Okay, what about?"

“I think you know what about."

A few seconds of silence passed as they looked at one another, Craig’s brow furrowing slightly as he leaned back against the door. He had a pretty good idea of what the other was referring to, so he couldn’t help but immediately be on the defensive.

“Listen Kenny, I don’t need—"

“What you _need_ is to listen to what I’m trying to tell you,” Kenny’s words held a very serious tone as he stared the other down, the look in his eyes a clear sign that he wasn’t playing around, “You can’t keep doing this, Craig. Do you have any idea how much you’re hurting Tweek? Do you even care?"

“Of course I—!” Craig shouted a bit too loudly, anger flashing through his eyes at the accusation, but quickly calmed himself back down, “Look, you don’t understand, okay? Tweek and I’s relationship is none of your business."

“Maybe not,” Kenny started as he shook his head, trying his best to stay composed as well, considering that he hadn't come there to start a fight, “But things clearly aren’t going to change unless someone steps in. And I care about Tweek, so seeing him in pain _is_ my business."

Another heavy silence fell over them at that, and Craig couldn’t keep his eyes from narrowing ever so slightly as he flashed the other a questioning glare, “Why do you care so much?"

The blonde simply stared back at him for several long moments, a knowing look passing between them that only made the other’s brow furrow further. Craig had pretty much already guessed the reason; he’d figured it out pretty quickly after Kenny started acting differently towards the younger blonde, plan or not.

“Look Craig,” The other started up again, intentionally avoiding the question, “I’m trying to help you here. You and Tweek are both my friends, and you know as much as I do that you two are meant for each other. But the thing is, Tweek is honestly starting to think that you don’t care about him anymore."

“That’s not…” Craig trailed off and glanced to the side, shoulders falling a bit as he let out a deep sigh, “We were supposed to be a team, and he just...!” He visibly deflated, all hostility fading from his features as he stared down at the floor, “I didn’t mean to say all those things to him, I was just mad, and I..."

“Why don’t you just go talk to him? Work things out?” Kenny asked as he looked at the other sympathetically, realizing for the first time how bad he must have felt over the whole situation, “I know that if you went to him he’d hear you out, Craig."

“Why…do I have to be the one to go to him?” The defensive tone in the noirette’s voice was back almost instantly as he threw his arms out to the sides, "He was the one who walked out on me!"

It became clear to the blonde in that moment that Tweek and Craig were each seeing the situation from a completely different perspective, and they each felt that they’d been wronged, so neither of them was going to approach the other first. Tweek wouldn’t because he thought that Craig didn’t care anymore, and Craig wouldn’t because he was being stubborn.

And with that realization came another: things could only be resolved if they were to both break from their problematic mindsets. Thankfully, Kenny knew just the way to do it.

He immediately switched up his tactics, the change in his demeanor seeming to take the other aback just by how sudden it was.

“Look, I don’t care who messed up the most. This isn’t a competition,” The blonde took a few steps forward, watching as Craig’s expression shifted from confused to hostile all over again, “What I’m trying to tell you is that you better get your shit together. You know, before someone else steps in."

The other’s eyes narrowed menacingly as he glared back, voice coming out low and dangerous, “What is that supposed to mean?"

“I know that Tweek loves you, Craig. And I know that you love him,” Kenny took another step forward, the corners of his lips turning upwards into a small smirk, “But right now, he doesn’t deserve the way you’re treating him. And you better hurry up and fix this before someone gives him what he _does_ deserve."

“Are you,” Craig took a step forward as well, a dark light filling his eyes as if he were daring the blonde to continue, “Threatening to steal my boyfriend?"

“Boyfriend?” Kenny chuckled mockingly as he crossed his arms, eyebrow raised incredulously as he looked at the other, “I’m sorry, but as far as I knew you abandoned Tweek when he was counting on you the most. Oh and, correct me if I’m wrong, but you haven’t spoken to him in about five days, right?

“Doesn’t sound like much of a boyfriend to me."

He pushed past Craig and opened the door, taking note of the look of furious disbelief on the noirette’s face from the corner of his eye. He took a step outside before looking over his shoulder, flashing the boy a devilish grin as he waved himself off.

“Anyways, that’s all I wanted. See ya around, Craig."

With that he took his leave, turning and beginning to walk off in the direction of his house, and leaving the other standing there completely stunned to mull over what he’d said. Kenny couldn’t help but feel pleased with himself, hands shoved into his pockets as he whistled casually and went about his way.

He knew well enough how badly he was stirring the pot, but he also knew from experience that his plan had to be full-proof.

And if this didn’t work, well then…he wasn’t sure that anything would.


	25. Coming to Terms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope that everyone had a wonderful new years, and a fun holiday season in general! I don't know about you, but I am so glad to leave the awful year of 2017 behind me and start fresh. I'm sure that this new year will hold many amazing things for all of us!
> 
> Sorry that this chapter is a bit late, I've been visiting with my boyfriend so it's been difficult to find a good time to be able to post. I have been writing up a storm though these past few nights, so I'm very excited about the new chapters that are going to come! I hope you all enjoy this one, and I hope that everyone is having a great day/night! See you guys in the next one :)
> 
> SLATS~

That night, Craig couldn’t sleep.

He alternated between aimlessly pacing the room and lying on the bed staring blankly up at the ceiling; occasionally he would look over to check the bright neon numbers of his alarm clock, watching as time continued to tick by. What Kenny had said kept replaying in his mind like an incessant loop, each repeat of the words making his stomach sink further.

He had to have just been bluffing, right? He wouldn’t actually try and take Tweek away...right?

No matter how many times Craig tried to convince himself of this, the panic that began to fill his chest only continued to spread further. He’d been so upset when the whole thing first happened that he didn’t really even give Tweek the chance to explain his side of things. Maybe Kenny was right, maybe he was just being stubborn. 

The noirette put his hands over his eyes as he let out a quiet groan, the thoughts continuing to race around in his brain no matter how much he tried to stifle them. He couldn’t get Tweek’s face out of his mind, as if the image of the blonde was permanently burned into the back of his eyelids. Was he…really starting to think that Craig didn’t love him anymore? Was he hurting that badly?

“I never wanted this…” He whispered out into the darkness, feelings of guilt and longing wrapping around his heart and squeezing tightly to the point that it hurt. How could he have been so stupid? How could he let the boy he loved slip through his fingers, toss him aside and treat him as if he were a complete stranger? It was no wonder the other thought he didn’t care anymore.

Tweek was the only person he was comfortable enough to let his walls down around; the only person who cared enough to not only ask him how he felt, but to try and help him when he was hurting. How could he just…throw that all away? And all over some stupid franchise plan?

He’d promised Tweek that they would always be together, that he would always protect him, and he suddenly couldn’t understand how he could have let those words become so meaningless. 

And at that moment, Craig realized that he couldn’t do this anymore. He’d been so frustrated and set in his ways that he hadn’t stopped to really think about what he was doing, but now that he did, the pain and regret that he felt were nearly unbearable. He had to fix this…he _had_ to.

He thought about texting the blonde right then and there and begging for forgiveness, but ultimately decided against it; after all, this was something that needed to be done in person. So when tomorrow came he would go to Tweek and apologize, and explain why it was that he’d been acting so poorly over the past week. 

It was the idea that he could actually lose the blonde for good that truly put things into perspective; and it was at that moment that Craig realized just how terrifying that thought really was. He couldn’t do this anymore…and he was willing to do anything to have Tweek back at his side.

So when morning rolled around, Craig threw on his jacket and stepped out into the frigid air without hesitation. He had to make this right, and he had to do it now. Before he was too late.

It was already nearing 11:30 when he reached Tweek’s house, but the car in the driveway told him that the younger’s parents had yet to leave for work, so he knocked on the door a few times instead of simply walking in like he’d planned. He’d been hoping to get there after they’d already left, but it seemed as though luck wasn’t in his favor today.

“Oh hello Craig,” The noirette couldn’t help but groan internally when Richard Tweak opened the door and greeted him with a welcoming smile, “What can I help you with?”

Craig tried to look in past the older man to see if Tweek was in the living room, but was greeted with no such luck. “Is Tweek around?” He asked after a moment, deciding that it was best to just get straight to the point.

“I can’t say I’ve seen him,” Richard hummed thoughtfully for a moment before looking over his shoulder and calling out to who the younger realized was his wife in the kitchen, “Honey, is Tweek home?” Craig couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the question, his impatience with the man growing by the second; was he really so bad that he couldn’t even tell when his own son was there or not?

Craig wished that the idea could have been surprising to him, but sadly it wasn’t even in the slightest.

“No he’s not dear, he left about an hour ago,” Mrs. Tweak poked her head out from the kitchen to look at the two of them, and Craig couldn’t help but feel a mix of confusion and slight worry. Maybe he was just out doing something with the Freedom Pals?

“Do you know where he went?” The younger asked imploringly, hoping that maybe Tweek had at least said something before he ran off.

“His little blonde friend was the one who came and got him earlier, I think they mentioned something about going over to his house. Maybe you could find him there?”

“Blonde friend…?” Craig repeated the words more to himself than anything, gaze trailing to the side as a sinking feeling began to make its way into the pit of his stomach. Was she talking about…?

“Oh, you mean the McCormick’s boy?” Mr. Tweak asked casually, his words confirming the younger’s suspicions, “That’s right, he has been coming by here a lot lately, maybe he—?”

“Shit…!” Craig cursed under his breath as he abruptly turned on his heel, not even bothering to look back as he began running in the direction he’d come from, “I’m sorry, but I need to go!” He could hear Richard call out a goodbye as he made his hasty exit, heading towards the opposite end of town as fast as his feet could carry him. His thoughts were racing by this point, nothing but adrenaline and pure panic pushing him towards his destination.

He was completely out of breath by the time he finally reached it, lungs burning as they desperately tried to take in some much needed air. Even then, he didn’t stop for more than a few seconds before he was pounding on the familiar door, hoping with everything he had that the person he was looking for would actually be inside.

A minute or two passed before the door swung open, a confused and slightly annoyed looking Kenny staring out at him, questioning eyes practically demanding an explanation.

“Craig, what are you—?”

“Kenny, look,” The boy started between breaths, his gaze pleading as he stared back at the blonde before him, “I know that I fucked up, I really do. And I know you have no reason to believe me, but I thought about everything you said, and you were right. I just want the chance to make this right, so please…please let me see him.”

Everything fell silent at that, the only sound being that of Craig’s labored breathing as he gradually began returning to normal. Kenny simply stared out at him wordlessly, although his expression was hard to read, and the other had no idea what it was that may have been going through his mind. Finally he spoke, his nonchalant tone only managing to make his thoughts even more indecipherable.

“You’re too late.”

The words sent an icy chill through Craig’s chest, eyes widening as he stood there, completely frozen in place. The panic surged up within him, his stomach twisting to the point that he felt nauseous.

“No, Kenny please,” He tried again, his voice filled with desperation and fear as he practically begged the other, “Don’t do this to me, _please_ , I just need to—”

“No dude, I mean you’re _actually_ too late. He’s not here anymore.”

Craig simply blinked for a moment as if he were having a hard time comprehending what the words meant. Finally their meaning sunk in, a wave of relief washing over him as he tried to regain his composure.

“He’s not?” His brow furrowed in confusion, and he couldn’t help but wonder for a moment if maybe the other was simply lying to him; the amused look now on Kenny’s face, however, said otherwise. “Do you…know where he went?”

Another small silence passed before Kenny shook his head and sighed, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway, “I’m not sure, he left like 15 minutes ago. Said he needed to get back home, but something tells me he might have been lying. He probably just went to clear his head, we talked for quite a while.”

“Talked?” Craig asked apprehensively, as if he were afraid of what the answer to his question would be, “About what?”

The blonde flashed him an almost teasing smirk as he shrugged his shoulders, eyebrow raised as he gazed at the other in amusement, “Well, I can’t really tell the person of interest, now can I?”

Craig didn’t have to wonder what he meant by the statement, although he couldn’t really tell if the fact that they’d been talking about him was a good or a bad thing. At the very least, Kenny’s behavior didn’t make it seem as though he was too late, and that alone was relief enough.

“Wait, you said he was going home?”

“That’s what he said, yeah.” Kenny simply shrugged his shoulders as he eyed the noirette, intense gaze making it seem as though he were still trying to figure out if what the other was saying was true.

Craig looked off as he thought for a moment, running everything that the blonde had told him back over in his mind; if what Kenny said was true, and Tweek had left about 15 minutes ago, then they definitely would have passed each other on his way over. The fact that he hadn’t seen any signs of the younger told him that what he’d said had, in fact, been a lie.

But if Tweek wasn’t at Kenny’s, and he wasn’t at home, that left one another place that he would mostly likely be.

“I need to go find him,” Craig said the words more to himself than to the other, although his next words were genuine as he looked the blonde in the eyes, “Thank you, Kenny.”

With that he turned to leave and begin making his way back the way he’d came, but he only made it a few feet before Kenny called out to him, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

“Wait,” Craig turned to look back at the other over his shoulder, their eyes locking once more as Kenny’s gaze filled with an intense, serious light.

He was quiet for a few moments as he simply stared at the noirette, although a small, knowing grin began to tug at his lips.

“You’re lucky to have someone like him, Craig,” He started, words holding an almost bold-sounding undertone to them, “Don’t forget that.”

Craig simply stared back for a moment before giving a firm, understanding nod, the implications of Kenny’s words not lost on him. He knew what the blonde was trying to say, but even while part of him wanted to feel angry about it, something told him that the other was actually trying to help. Maybe what Tweek had said about him was true, after all.

He took his leave at that, heading straight through town until the woods finally came into sight. He immediately began treading down the familiar dirt path, the crystal water of the pond shining brightly in the sunlight, small patches of ice beginning to form on the outer ring.

Tweek had to be there.

Craig kept repeating those words in his mind as he pressed forward; he had nothing to actually confirm that this was where the other would be, but every fiber in his being told him that he was right. He hadn’t been to this place in a while, not since…

He couldn’t help but frown as the memory came back to him, those same feelings of sadness and guilt tugging at his heart until his chest ached. He paused for a moment to take a deep breath, eyes falling closed as the scene replayed perfectly in his mind, as if it had just happened yesterday.

That was the day he’d promised Tweek that he would always be there for him, no matter what…and he wasn’t about to let those words become a lie.


	26. Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey everyone! I've come bearing a new chapter :) not much to say about this one, other than I know you guys have been waitinng patiently for it. Gotta love those cliffhangers though, am I right? I know I sure do!
> 
> Today's my last official day of break before I have to head back to campus, so I may not be able to upload for the next few days while I get readjusted and everything, but I won't be gone too long! Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter! And once again, I just wanted to say thank you for all of your awesome comments and support, you guys truly are awesome and I'm so happy to have you along for the ride <3
> 
> (Oh and PS, I didn’t really have time to read over this before posting like I usually do, so sorry if there are any mistakes!)
> 
> SLATS~

Tweek absently pulled at some of the grass beneath his hands, misted blue eyes unfocusing and refocusing on the image before them as he moved in and out of thought.

He’d been feeling off ever since Kyle’s questioning the previous day, shifting back and forth between feeling nothing and feeling overwhelmingly sad without warning.

The lengthy conversation he’d had with Kenny earlier definitely hadn’t helped, considering that the only thing the other wanted to talk about was the one thing he was trying so hard push from his thoughts.

As much as he appreciated his friend trying to cheer him up, there was only so much of it he could listen to before the fear of breaking down was back full-force, which came much faster considering the strange mood he’d been in all day.

He’d made up some excuse about how he needed to be home and took his leave, but as soon as he was out of Kenny’s house, it was as if his mind simply shut down again.

It was during this past episode of numbness that he’d spaced out and come to this place, as if his feet had simply been bringing him there on autopilot.

Now he sat in front of that familiar tree, the usually comforting atmosphere now stagnated and oppressing, leaving him feeling as if he would suffocate under the heavy feeling of melancholy that hung in the air.

He reached up subconsciously to trail his fingers along the carved pattern of the wood, Craig’s words repeating in his mind as clearly as if were hearing them all over again. He smiled sadly, the memory much more bittersweet than he remembered, and he could feel tears begin to streak silently down his cheeks.

A deep, shaky sigh left Tweek’s lips as his eyes fell closed, allowing the memory of that day to overtake him. It’d been nearly a week since either he or Craig had spoken to one another, and the toll was weighing much heavier on him than he would have liked to admit.

He thought back to the day he’d walked out on Coon and Friends, heart aching as he remembered how lost he felt when he realized Craig wasn’t coming with him.

He’d been so upset and confused that night when he’d messaged the other, and he hadn’t really been thinking clearly in the heat of the moment. At the time it didn’t seem like Craig was even trying to see things from his perspective at all; it felt like the other was just dismissing him no matter what he said, so he responded in the way he’d always been used to.

He said some things he didn’t mean, pushed all the blame off on the other and shut down, because if Craig wasn’t going to listen to what he had to say, then two could play at that game.

It was a defense mechanism of sorts; a petty, stupid defense mechanism. But now that he actually thought about it, he realized that it wasn’t so cut and dry. Maybe Craig felt just as betrayed as he did? Maybe that was why he wouldn’t speak to him? Maybe he should be the one to apologize, to try and fix this and make things better.

Or maybe…maybe Craig really was done with him. Maybe he’d finally screwed up so badly, made such a big mistake that the other just didn’t want to deal with him anymore. After all, who would want to be with someone that would freak out and overreact at every little thing? Craig deserved better than him…he wasn’t good enough. He was never good enough, and he never would be.

Not good enough. Not good enough. _Not_ —

Tweek jumped in his spot, a mix between a gasp and a sob leaving his lips as his eyes shot open wide. He’d completely zoned out, nails digging into the bark of the tree so hard that he had to quickly retract his hand in fear that they would break.

It took him a moment to register what had pulled him from his daze, but after a moment of thought he realized that it was the feeling of his phone buzzing in his pocket.

Slowly he shifted in his spot and pulled it out, the flashing light indicating that he had a text message.

He unlocked it absently, assuming that it was probably either Kyle or Kenny trying to check up on him, or maybe something important was going on with the Freedom Pals. His eyes widened further, however, when he saw the words that appeared on the screen.

Tweek stared down at the text, a few stray tears falling from his eyes as he blinked in shock, having to reread the message several times to make sure he was seeing it correctly. Part of him wondered if maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him, if he was so messed up that he was just hallucinating.

But after about the third time of frantically scanning over the words, he knew that what he was seeing couldn’t be fake.

The message was from Craig, and read a simple “I miss you too.” At first he didn’t understand, both stunned because this was the first time the other had said anything to him in about a week, and confused because he was having a hard time deciphering what exactly the message meant.

The “too” was what really threw him off, because how could Craig possibly know that he was…wait.

Tweek’s head whipped around, body twisting slightly as he turned to look over his shoulder. His heart felt as though it had completely stopped in that moment, his wide, watery eyes landing on the person he’d least expected to see.

There, standing a few feet away was Craig, hands shoved into his pockets as he stared the blonde before him.

The older boy’s shoulders fell as Tweek turned to look at him, a sad light filling his eyes when he saw the state the other was in.

They simply looked at one another wordlessly for a moment before Craig took the first step and began making his way over, stopping when he reached the boy’s side and silently taking a seat on the ground next to him.

“C-Craig…?” Tweek whispered the other’s name in disbelief, as if he were having a hard time accepting that he was actually there, “What…w-what are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you,” Craig’s gaze was fixed to the younger boy, eyes moving back and forth between the blue ones before him as if searching for something. Things grew quiet again for a moment before he let out a deep sigh, the sight of Tweek’s red, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks making his heart feel as if it were being squeezed impossibly tight.

“Tweek, I want to apologize, for everything. I know that I haven’t been treating you right, and I know that I don’t really deserve to be forgiven after all of this, but I—”

“No!” The younger shouted suddenly, his voice sounding almost distressed as he leaned closer to the noirette, “Craig, I-I’m the one who’s sorry! I was so upset when you stayed behind, a-and I was so frustrated and confused because I felt like you weren’t listening to me, but I just ended up doing the s-same thing that I was mad at you for! I didn’t mean any of those things I said to you, I-I’m so, so sorry Craig…I was just so upset, a-and I didn’t think about what I was doing, and I was just being stupid a-and—!”

“Tweek, hey!” The blonde jumped as a pair of hands came to rest on his cheeks, eyes refocusing on the boy before him as his attention was dragged back. “Look at me, you’re okay. Everything’s okay,” Craig’s voice was soft and soothing, although in complete contrast with the almost panicked look in his eyes, “Just calm down, alright? Take deep breaths.”

Tweek had somewhat zoned out in his rambling, and he didn’t even realize until that moment that both his heart and breathing had sped up to the point that he was on the verge of hyperventilating. He followed the other’s words, breathing in several deep, shaky breaths until the pounding in his chest finally began to return to normal.

Craig let out a relieved sigh, running his thumbs gently back and forth to wipe away the wet trails the tears had left behind.

“You aren’t stupid, Tweek…I was the one who was being stupid. At the time it felt like you were walking out on me, and I didn’t try to understand where you were coming from because I was being stubborn. But that’s no excuse for the way I’ve been treating you…if I would have just listened to your side of things then this never would have happened. I’m sorry, Tweek.”

“I-I’m sorry too…I should’ve tried harder to understand where you were coming from i-instead of just shutting down on you like I did. I-I shouldn’t have blamed you for everything like that, this is my fault too…” Tweek reached up to one of the hands cupping his cheek, fingers curling around it as he leaned into the touch and allowed his eyes to fall closed.

“I missed you…” His voice wavered slightly as he whispered, eyes squeezed shut tightly as the tears began to spill over again, “I missed you so, so much Craig…!”

“I missed you too,” The other said softly as he moved to wrap his arms around the younger, pulling him forward into a tight embrace. Tweek returned it instantly, his own arms wrapping around Craig’s torso as his fingers clutched onto the back of his shirt, faced buried in his chest to muffle the soft sobs that slipped from his lips.

“I-I thought that…you didn’t l-love me anymore…” His shoulders shook as he clung to the other tightly, as if he were afraid of what would happen if he let go.

“I’ll always love you Tweek,” Craig rubbed the younger’s back gently to try and calm him, chin resting atop the soft blonde locks beneath, “No matter what happens, I don’t want you to ever forget that, okay? Even if we fight, or if we go a long time without talking, or anything like that, I will always love you.”

“B-but what if I screw everything up? What if y-you get tired of me, o-or you don’t want to deal with me anymore, or—?”

Craig pulled back suddenly, and before Tweek could register what was going on the other’s lips were against his own, catching him in a passionate kiss. He let out a surprised noise, all of his frantic thoughts coming to a halt as he kissed back, eyes falling closed as he allowed himself to overtaken with the feeling.

Several long moment passed before Craig pulled away slowly, although still close enough for the younger to feel the hot breath against his skin. His eyes fluttered open, gaze lidded as they locked with the those of the boy before him.

“Always, Tweek. I need you to believe that.”

“O-okay…” He said quietly, a soft smile coming to his lips as they pressed their foreheads together, “I believe you.”

“Good.” Craig smiled back, giving the blonde another quick kiss before pulling back completely, hands moving to rest on the other’s arms, “Now how about we go back to my place, watch a movie or something? I’ve really missed cuddling with you, ya know.”

Tweek couldn’t help but giggle at the statement, a soft blush dusting his cheeks as he nodded, “Yeah, I’d like that. I really missed it too…”

With that Craig stood up and offered his hand to the younger, helping to pull him up before lacing their fingers together and beginning to make their way back in the direction of town.

As they walked side by side, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from both of their shoulders; they spent that whole night together, completely inseparable from one another as they watched movies, played games, and simply enjoyed their time together.


	27. Feeling Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope that you're all having a good week so far :) I'm still in the process of getting readjusted back on campus, but so far everything's been good! My schedule's the exact same time-wise, so I at least don't have too much of a change to get used to. I have some free time right now, and I've been getting quite a bit of writing done, so I thought I'd go ahead and post the new chapter! I'm gonna try and get back on a more semi-regular upload schedule, so expect another chapter in the next few days or so! I hope that you all enjoy it, and for any of my readers who are also starting a new semester or getting back into school, I wish you the best of luck!!
> 
> SLATS~

And just like that, everything was back to normal. Better than normal, even; it was as if the time they’d spent apart had only managed to strengthen their relationship once they were back together.

For instance, Craig had always been a very physically affectionate person, but now he was even more so than he had been in the past. If the two of them were together, it was almost guaranteed that he would have his hands on his boyfriend in one way or another.

He’d become more verbally affectionate too, always making a point to tell Tweek how much he loved him, or how good he looked, or how proud of him he was whenever the blonde did something particularly well. He didn’t seem to mind PDA in the slightest, so he wasn’t at all shy about expressing his love for the other, no matter who was around to see or hear it.

Not that Tweek minded, of course. In fact, he actually found it really endearing, because it showed just how much the older boy cared for him. And as their relationship continued on, he grew more and more comfortable with reciprocating those gestures in public, and even got to the point where he would initiate them just as often. And ever since the day they got back together, it was as if they’d each made an unspoken agreement that nothing would be able to tear them apart again.

Sure they had their disagreements, and they argued with one another from time to time. They could both be pretty stubborn whenever they got into a fight, and would often do petty things to one another out of spite, but they never let it get too far.

Whenever things would start to escalate too much, one of them would always break down and apologize, which usually involved showing up at the other’s house in the middle of the night and talking things out until everything was back to the way it should’ve been.

They were the couple that everyone aspired to be like, because no matter what happened between them, they were always there for one another. Even if they were in the middle of a fight, if something were to happen to one of them, the other would immediately drop whatever they were doing to be there.

They supported one another through everything, and no matter how much time passed, the chemistry between them never faded in the slightest.

Tweek still sometimes worried that Craig would get tired of him, or find someone else and leave him behind, especially considering that everywhere he looked people were either breaking up or starting new relationships. But every time those thoughts resurfaced, he would remind himself of what the other had told him that day, that he would always love him no matter what, and just like that the worries would disappear.

He couldn’t help but be anxious about those sorts of things from time to time, though. After all, that was just the way that he’d always been; he’d grown up never really expecting much from others, and his mind had always been one to come up with the worst-case-scenarios.

Being with Craig, though, helped him to see things in a different light. The older boy made him feel calm and safe, like nothing in the world could get to him whenever they were together.

He still had bad paranoia, and he would still have panic attacks from time to time, but Craig would always be by his side whenever he was at his worst, and would do everything in his power to help him through it. He even told Tweek to call or come over whenever he needed to, no matter what was going on or what time it was; at first the blonde was reluctant to, because the last thing he wanted was to become an annoyance, but over time he became more comfortable with relying on the other for emotional support.

He made Craig promise that he would do the same as well, and as time went on the older boy came to rely on him, too. He became much more open with expressing his thoughts and emotions, and there were plenty of times where he would show up at Tweek’s door or window when he was upset or frustrated over something.

When that happened, they would usually sit quietly with one another until Craig was comfortable enough to talk about whatever was bothering him. And just like the other always did for him, Tweek would do everything he could to make his boyfriend feel better.

They balanced each other out perfectly; Craig’s calm, logical personality helped to keep Tweek level and grounded, while Tweek’s emotional, intuitive personality helped Craig to become much more in touch with his feelings, and made him view life in a much more positive way.

Not to mention he got into way less trouble than he used to in the past, which was good considering that the older they got, the more severe the consequences for misbehaving were. Things between them honestly couldn’t have been better, in Tweek’s opinion.

That was, until something strange started happening to the younger.

Craig started taking up his thoughts constantly, which on its own wouldn’t have been so strange, considering that he often found himself thinking of the older boy when they weren’t together. It was the _way_ he was thinking of the other that confused him, and at first he couldn’t understand why.

It was as if something in him had changed, and suddenly whenever Craig kissed him, or touched him in a particularly intimate way, it felt…different.

It wasn’t different in a bad way, but it made him feel anxious all the same, mostly because it was very new and confusing for him. He often found himself staring at the other without even realizing it, but even the way he sometimes looked at Craig now didn’t feel quite the same. There was something more to it that hadn’t been there before, some sort of feeling that he couldn’t place no matter how hard he tried.

Whenever Craig would look at him or speak to him in a certain way, his stomach would flip in a way that he didn’t understand. Whenever their eyes locked, his heart would race and pound loudly in his chest to the point that he was afraid the other would hear it. Craig didn’t seem to notice the younger’s strange behavior though, or if he did, he never actually brought it up.

But at times, Tweek could swear that he would see something different in those green eyes as well, a strange, unfamiliar light that only managed to make the new feelings more intense. He could never be sure if what he was seeing was actually real though, but he could also never bring himself to ask, a sort of apprehensive embarrassment keeping him from bringing it up.

So he tried to ignore it as best he could, pretend that it wasn’t happening; and for a while, it actually seemed to work.

And then came the night that he had that damn dream, and suddenly he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

It started off innocently enough. In the dream he and Craig were huddled together in bed watching a movie; he wasn’t sure what the movie was because he hadn’t been able to focus on the screen, but it didn’t really matter. What mattered was when the other’s lips covered his own, the initially soft and sweet kiss growing more and more heated.

The dream took a complete 180, and suddenly things weren’t so innocent anymore. Craig’s hands were on him in a matter of seconds, fingers ghosting over his skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Everywhere the older boy touched him felt impossibly hot, and before he even had a chance to react to what was happening, the other was on top of him and beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt.

He could feel Craig’s lips on his neck, hear himself whispering the other’s name as hands trailed down his chest and lower stomach. He arched up into the touch, his body seeming to react entirely on its own as soft, quiet gasps and moans slipped past his lips.

He could feel Craig’s hands continue to move lower and lower, feel the button of his jeans coming undone before the older boy hooked his fingers under the course fabric and started to tug downwards.

Their bodies were pressed together, the heat in the room nearly unbearable to the point that Tweek was finding it hard to breathe properly. His heart nearly stopped as Craig moved up to nibble lightly at his ear, hot breath sending a shiver down his spine as he whispered, “ _I want you._ ”

The other’s hand suddenly dipped past the elastic of his boxers, the action making his body jolt as he let out a small whine, eyes squeezing shut tightly as his head spun with a strange mix of anxious anticipation.

But just like that, it was over.

Tweek’s eyes shot open as he gasped loudly, chest rising and falling with each shallow, rapid breath. He was completely dazed at first, his mind taking a few moments to register that he had, in fact, been dreaming. He glanced around, a bit confused when he realized that he wasn’t actually in his room.

That’s right, he’d stayed the night at Craig’s house. He was so stunned by the abrupt awakening that he’d forgotten whose bed he was in, but now that he remembered, he—

Wait a second… _Craig!_

The blonde quickly turned to look over his shoulder, his heart practically jumping into his throat when his wide blue eyes met with the cool greens next to him. Craig was on his side, propped up on one elbow as he faced and stared down at the younger. There was a strange look in his eyes, one that was impossible to decipher and that only made Tweek feel even more nervous.

They simply looked at one another in silence for several long moments, the air holding a very heavy, awkward feeling. Or at least that was the way that Tweek perceived it; in reality, he had no idea what was going through the older boy’s mind.

“You okay?” Craig finally spoke up, and even though his voice was soft and level, it still came across as jarring in the otherwise quiet room.

“Y-yeah, I’m…I-I’m fine,” Tweek swallowed hard, his throat completely dry as he tried his best to act as normal as possible, “Why?” There was another long pause before the other continued, much too long to have been normal…or maybe he was just reading too much into it.

“Seemed like you were having a nightmare or something,” Craig shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before laying back on his side, “I was gonna wake you up, but you did on your own before I was able to. You sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, I-I’m okay, promise,” The blonde answered much faster than he’d intended, thankful that the room was dark enough to hide the deep blush that he knew was covering his cheeks, “I-It was just a nightmare, b-but I’m okay now.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Tweek could have sworn he saw the corners of Craig’s lips curve upwards through the darkness, but the older boy leaned forward before he could be sure, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He pulled back after a moment, but he lingered there much longer than he usually would have for some reason. He placed his hand on the curve of the other’s hip, thumb running lightly over the small patch of exposed skin where Tweek’s pajama shirt had bunched up.

The action made the younger shiver, an unintentionally deep breath leaving him as his eyes closed on instinct. He thought that he heard Craig chuckle softly before pulling his hand away, but once again he wasn’t sure if he’d just imagined it, because the other looked completely normal when he opened his eyes again.

“Get some sleep babe,” Craig said quietly as he wrapped his arms around the blonde, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head and pulling him close. And just like that, the conversation was over, and Tweek was left with nothing but his racing, frantic thoughts.

He didn’t get much sleep the rest of the night, the dream replaying in the back of his mind every time he closed his eyes, as if the images were burned into the back of his eyelids. And from that night on, his plan of simply ignoring the strange thoughts and feelings suddenly didn’t work that well anymore.

It was especially bad because at times it seemed as though Craig was teasing him on purpose, although he couldn’t be sure if the older boy actually knew the effect he was having on him. It was embarrassing to say the least, not to mention nerve-wracking because it suddenly felt as if his body was no longer under his control.

It was like he was just reacting on instinct, and no matter how much he made a conscious effort to try and keep himself under control, as the days went by it became harder and harder to push the less than savory thoughts from his mind.

It was making him tense beyond all belief; he was much twitchier than normal whenever Craig was around, especially when the other touched him, and it got to the point where he was on edge almost constantly.

It felt like something was growing inside of him, something that was becoming much harder to keep under wraps the more these feelings intensified. It made him feel both anxious and agitated, because in the back of his mind he was worried about what would happen if Craig were to find out.

If the older boy knew the sorts of things running through his mind on a regular basis, what would he think? Would he find it weird? Would it make him uncomfortable? Maybe the other wouldn’t want to be around him anymore?

Normally Tweek would have recognized that those kinds of worries were irrational; after all, Craig always made a point to tell him that he never had to be embarrassed or hide anything from him. But even if logically he knew that he was probably just freaking out over nothing, the tension he was experiencing from trying to ignore the strange new feelings was making it very difficult to think clearly.

Not being able to understand his emotions, or even being able to control his own body was beyond irritating. Tweek hated feeling like he wasn’t in control, and not being able to talk about it was only making things worse, because the bottled up feelings had absolutely nowhere to go.

But as it turned out, he wasn’t as good at hiding these changes as he thought he was.


	28. Lifeline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope that you all had a fantastic week :) I for one am sooo glad it’s finally the weekend, adjusting back to campus and class life is tough lol but I’m surviving! This chapters a little later than I wanted, mainly because I’ve just been busy. But I hope the wait wasn’t too bad!
> 
> So, whose ready to go a little more in depth with these “strange new feelings” Tweek’s been experiencing ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)? Poor boy doesn’t even know how to handle himself! But maybe all he needs is a little bit of advice from a very well-informed friend~
> 
> Without further ado, here’s the new chapter! I hope you all enjoy <3
> 
> SLATS~

It happened one day after school, when Tweek was over at Kenny’s place helping him with a project for one of his classes.

The older blonde had never really been the best when it came to the sciences, so he’d asked the other to help him with some environmental science research he had to do for a presentation, because Tweek had always excelled in that class for whatever reason.

They were each sitting in their respective spots, Kenny on the bed and Tweek on the floor, each of them surrounded by a multitude of papers and open books that were scattered about aimlessly.

“Hey,” The younger was quietly looking over some notes when Kenny grabbed his attention, curious blue eyes shifting up to look at his friend questioningly, “I’ve been meaning to ask you this, but is everything okay? You’re been acting kind of off lately.”

“Off?” Tweek simply blinked at the other for a moment, not really understanding what he was referring to at first, “H-how so?”

“I don’t know, more distracted than usual I guess. Like something’s been on your mind.”

Tweek’s brow furrowed as he ran the words over in his head, taking a moment to register what exactly his friend was talking about. The realization hit him suddenly, his stomach twisting as he swallowed hard, throat much more dry than it had been a few minutes ago.

Was Kenny…asking about what he _thought_ he was asking about?

“I…I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tweek said a bit too suddenly, all of his nerves standing on end as he stared back at the other, wide-eyed. Kenny looked at him quietly for a moment as he set the paper he was holding down, eyebrow raised dubiously as he seemed to study the boy before him.

It was immediately clear to him that Tweek was lying, only further confirmed by the way the blonde quickly glanced away and wrung his hands in his lap. He could practically feel the younger’s discomfort as he watched him twitch anxiously; something was obviously going on with him, but whatever it was, he was reluctant to talk about it.

Kenny knew that he was going to have to take a very slow, careful approach if he wanted to coax it out of the other.

“Tweek,” He spoke softly as he gave a small, comforting smile, “You can talk to me about anything, you know that right? I worry about you, ya know. If something’s going on, I want to be able to help”

Tweek simply stared back at the other, lips pursed together slightly as his mind began to race. He knew that Kenny just wanted to help, and he appreciated the concern, but…he wasn’t sure if this was something he could really bring himself to talk about.

"It’s…embarrassing…” He mumbled more to himself than anything, eyes glued back to the floor as his cheeks began to heat up. He heard his friend shifting in his spot, papers rustling a bit as he moved, but he couldn’t bring himself to look back up at the other.

“Embarrassing?” Kenny repeated the word, his interest piqued as he watched the younger curiously, “You don’t have to be embarrassed around me Tweek, you know that. I’m not gonna make fun of you or anything.”

“I-I know that, it’s just…” Tweek closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, deciding to continue beyond his better judgement, “I’ve just been feeling…weird recently.”

“Weird? Weird how?” The other leaned forward in his spot, attention fully focused on his friend as he tried to urge him to continue. The fact that Tweek was responding at all instead of simply shutting the conversation down was a good sign, and Kenny knew that if he wanted an explanation, he needed to keep him talking.

“I don’t know, I just…lately I-I’ve been feeling like I’m not really in control of myself anymore…”

“Not in control how? That could mean a lot of things Tweek, you gotta give me something more to work with here.” The older boy couldn’t help but feel a bit worried by the vague statement, trying his best to decipher what exactly the other meant by it, “Does this have something to do with Craig?”

The room fell quiet at that, an awkward silence surrounding them as Tweek stared down into his lap. After a few moments he nodded wordlessly, although he immediately realized that Kenny might get the wrong idea if he didn’t explain further, so he decided to push aside his embarrassment and simply come out with it.

“I’ve been feeling different around him lately, a-and well…I don’t really know how to handle it. It’s nothing bad, i-it’s just…” He trailed off at that, realizing that he wasn’t exactly sure how to put his thoughts into words. He could feel the other’s eyes on him, and he couldn’t help but shift slightly under the intense gaze, trying his best to hide the blush that he knew was now covering his cheeks.

Kenny continued to watch him quizzically, taking note of the way he fidgeted in his spot and the deep pink that dusted over his skin. It was obvious that whatever was going on, he’d been hiding it from Craig; but what could be so embarrassing that he wasn’t even comfortable talking to his own boyfriend abo—?

Wait… _oh_.

Kenny’s eyes widened a bit as he stared at the younger, mouth agape as everything clicked into place. And before he even had the chance to stop himself, he burst out laughing, falling back onto the bed as his loud, uncontrolled voice filled the room.

The sudden outburst made Tweek jump in his spot, eyes snapping up to see the older blonde on his side and holding his stomach, eyes watering as he laughed hysterically. Tweek’s face went beat red, completely stunned as he stared at the other in shock, his brain taking a few seconds to register what was going on.

“I-it’s not funny!” He shouted in a mix of embarrassment and frustration, fists clenched as he stared at his friend in complete bewilderment, “What are you laughing about?!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Kenny pushed himself back up on the bed, hand covering his face as his laughter slowly began to die down into soft chuckles, “I didn’t mean to laugh, I just can’t _believe_ what I’m hearing right now. My little Tweek’s growing up!”

Tweek couldn’t help but look at the other as if he were crazy, head tilted slightly as all of his anger gave way to pure confusion, “What are you—?”

“I just gotta say, I am _honored_ to be the one you came to this about,” Kenny suddenly stood up from his spot, taking the few steps over before sitting on the floor directly in front of the younger, a huge grin spreading across his face as he clapped his hands together.

“C-come to you about what? What are you talking about??” Tweek was completely lost, the older blonde’s strange behavior throwing him for a loop and leaving him with a multitude of questions, “Do you…k-know what’s going on?”

“Two words babe,” The other said casually, grin widening knowingly as he held up two fingers, “Sexual. Tension.”

Tweek simply blinked as he looked at his friend, mind seeming to take a moment to comprehend what the words meant. As soon as it sunk in, however, he could feel his face heat up even more, eyes going wide as he stared at the other in shock.

How the hell did he figure it out so easily?!

He opened his mouth to offer some sort of protest, but Kenny cut him off before he was able to.

“Let me guess,” The blonde hummed thoughtfully as he leaned forward, the sudden closeness causing Tweek to lean back a bit on instinct, “You’ve been having some _less than innocent_ thoughts about Craig lately, right? Been feeling hot when he kisses you? Maybe had some dirty dreams about him?”

“Wha—?” Tweek’s eyes widened further, completely taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions, “H-how did you—?!”

“Tweek, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you’re just horny! Craig’s your boyfriend, you’re _supposed_ to be attracted to him,” Kenny placed his hands flat on the floor behind him and leaned back in his spot, completely entertained by the reactions he was getting out of the younger, “I’m honestly surprised it took this long. You must be more of late bloomer.”

“A-a what…?” Tweek’s brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, but he was almost immediately back on the defensive a second later, “Wait!! H-how do you know that’s what I’m talking about?”

“Am I wrong?”

All of the words seemed to dry up in the younger’s mouth at that, and as much as he wanted to offer some sort of retort, his lips simply fell open wordlessly, a look on his face as if he were a deer caught in headlights.

“That’s what I thought.” Kenny gave a satisfied smirk, clearly pleased with the lack of a response, “Look Tweek, if it’s bothering you that much than just talk to him about it. Things are just gonna keep getting worse unless you do.”

“ _W-WHAT_? No way man, are you crazy?!” The other shouted a bit too loudly, his voice distressed, and he stared at his friend as if he’d grown a second head, “Th-that is WAY too much pressure! I can’t just—!”

“Let me ask you something, Tweek. Have you ever thought that maybe, just _maybe_ you aren’t the _only_ one thinking these sorts of things?”

The younger fell quiet once more, all of his thoughts coming to a complete halt as the words settled on him. He’d been so focused on hiding his feelings from Craig, and so worried about he might think if he found out that he hadn’t even stopped to consider the possibility that he might be feeling the same way.

“But…I-I can’t just bring it up to him! What if he isn’t—?”

“Tweek, listen to me,” Kenny cut him off before he could start rambling again, chuckling softly as he shook his head, “I _see_ the way that Craig looks at you sometimes, and he’s been looking at you like that for a while. I can guarantee that you’re not the only one who wants to take your relationship to the next level. Trust me on this one, okay?”

“B-but—!”

“ _No_ buts, Tweek. If you keep trying to bottle this stuff up then you’re just going to get more and more frustrated, and eventually it’s gonna drive you crazy. It’s no wonder you’re so tense all the time.”

The older blonde suddenly flashed him a devilish smirk, his voice holding a low, sultry tone as he winked playfully, “Or ya know, if you’re too nervous to go to Craig about it, _I_ can always help relieve some of that stress for you.”

“K-Kenny!” Tweek’s blush deepened as his mind seemed to completely short-circuit, his reaction only causing the other to laugh.

“Calm down, I’m just kidding,” The other waved his hand dismissively before shrugging his shoulders, “Well, not really, but that’s not the point. My _point_ is that you just need to go to Craig and come out with it already. You of all people should know that communication is key in a relationship. You know what happens when one of you tries to hide something from the other.”

As much as he wanted to counteract the statement, when it came down to it, Tweek knew that his friend was right.

After all, any time he and Craig _didn’t_ communicate properly it always just ended in trouble, usually over some kind of stupid misunderstanding. Those types of things were almost exclusively what they fought about, so he knew well enough what trying to keep his feelings hidden could lead to.

But still, this…well, this was a little bit different.

Tweek was never really one for being blunt about things, especially when the topic was something that was embarrassing or made him feel uncomfortable.

Not to mention he’d never really thought about sex before, because it brought him more stress in the past than anything; it was still stressful now, but in a completely different way than he was used to, because now he couldn’t seem to _stop_ thinking about it.

He and Craig had never talked about it, either…would he really be able to push past the embarrassment and be the one to bridge the topic first? The thought alone was enough to make his stomach flip nervously.

This was way, _way_ too much pressure.


	29. Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! I hope that you all had a good weekend :) sorry this chapter took so long to post, I've just been kind of MIA the past several days. But I'm back now, and in the process of writing the next! It's gonna be a tricky one, so it may take me a bit longer than usual, but I'll try not to keep you all waiting too long! And I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter! <3
> 
> SLATS~

A sudden knock on the door drew both Tweek and Kenny’s attention, each turning to look curiously as someone else began to enter the room. It was at that moment that the younger remembered he’d made plans with Craig, and he was supposed to drop by and get him around 5:30.

“Hey guys,” The noirette poked his head in for a moment, looking between the two of them before stepping in fully, “Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything. You ready to go babe?”

“Y-yeah, sorry,” Tweek cleared his throat as he began gathering up all of the papers scattered around, trying his best to act normal and hoping that the other didn’t notice the light blush that covered his cheeks, “I sort of lost track of time. I’m ready now, though.”

He held his notes to his chest as he stood up, turning to look at his friend over his shoulder as the other stood up as well, “Think you can take it from here, Kenny?”

“Yeah, I think I’ve got it,” The older blonde smiled as he placed his hand gently on Tweek’s shoulder, “Thanks for the help. And don’t forget what I said, okay?”

His demeanor changed suddenly, voice low and seductive as he gave a playful smirk, “The advice, and the offer.” He winked at the younger before turning his attention over to Craig, taking note of the suspicious light in his eyes as he glanced back and forth between them.

“Take care of him, Craig. He’s been kind of stressed out lately.” With that Kenny turned and began making the way over to his bed, not bothering to look back as he waved them off, “Okay lovebirds, now go have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Guess we have a lot of options then,” Craig grinned as he placed his hand on the small of Tweek’s back, turning to lead him out of the room, “See ya, Kenny.”

As soon as they were outside Craig led his boyfriend to the car, making sure to open the door for him before going over to the driver’s side. He’d had his license for a while now, but he’d only gotten the car just recently, when his grandfather had passed a black 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner down to him for his birthday. It was old and a bit beat up, and it had definitely seen better days, but to him it was perfect.

He paused for a moment once they were both inside, leaning back in his seat and glancing over at the younger out of the corner of his eye. Tweek’s posture seemed a bit tense, and Craig couldn’t help but noticed the way he was rubbing his hands together and staring down into his lap, as if he were completely lost in thought.

And although it was hard to tell from the angle he was at, it seemed as though the other’s cheeks were covered in a deep pink. He thought back to what Kenny had said, about the younger being stressed, and found himself wondering what exactly it was that they’d talked about.

“So, what was this ‘offer’ Kenny mentioned?” He raised an eyebrow questioningly as he cranked the car, although he pretty much already had a good idea about what the older blonde had been referring to, because his behavior almost always gave him away. Not that he actually tried to hide it or anything.

Over time, Craig and Kenny had grown much closer to one another, to the point that they themselves were actually pretty good friends now. Tweek had initially been the catalyst, because he’d been getting tired of seeing them always argue with one another; Kenny had always _loved_ to push the other’s buttons, and he knew just the ways to do it.

It was like getting a reaction out of the noirette was extremely entertaining for him, and he always seemed so pleased with himself whenever he did, maybe because getting a reaction out of Craig was almost impossible unless it involved Tweek in some way. Which was exactly the weakness he exploited.

He flirted with the younger blonde _constantly_ when the three of them were together, because it was almost always guaranteed to fire Craig up in one way or another. And then finally, one day Tweek had had enough. He was tired of the two of them constantly going back and forth when they even got remotely close to one another, so he pulled them aside, sat them down, and forced them to talk it out.

All he wanted was for his boyfriend and his best friend to get along, because he cared about both of them a lot and it was upsetting to see them always fighting each other. That was how he’d explained it to them, and it was as if they both immediately felt guilty and latched on to his every word. By the time they left the room later that day, they’d each made a sort of silent truce that they would try to get along better, for Tweek’s sake.

Well, that was how it was initially, at least. But over time, they grew to like each other more and more, to the point that they no longer needed an excuse to get along.

It wasn’t as if the two boys had ever _hated_ each other, or anything like that. When they were younger they’d hung out their fair share of times, although not much, and they’d each liked the other well enough. It wasn’t until after they’d gotten older, and after Craig had started dating Tweek that the real strain in their relationship began to occur.

But even then, they didn’t legitimately dislike one another. Craig just tended to be a jealous person, and Kenny found it amusing beyond all belief to take advantage of that, so it was only natural for them to be at each other’s throats, regardless of if they really meant it or not.

Once they’d put aside their differences and really gotten to know one another though, they realized how much they actually had in common.

And just like that, Kenny had went from the one person Craig trusted around his boyfriend the least, to the only other person he trusted to actually take care of and look out for him.

He knew how much the other cared for Tweek, and even though the flirting still irked him to no end, he honestly didn’t believe that Kenny would do anything to jeopardize their relationship. But he also knew that the second he were to screw up and the younger blonde show even the slightest sign of being done with him, the other would swoop in without a second thought, so he always kept that slight bit of caution in the back of his mind.

But even when it came down to it, he knew that Kenny was the only other person he trusted enough to take care of Tweek in the way that he needed; although there was no way he would ever actually admit that to the other.

He also knew that his boyfriend would often go to the older blonde to talk about things regarding their relationship. So if something was on his boyfriend’s mind, and Kenny knew what it was while _he_ didn’t, there was a pretty good chance that it involved him in some way, and Tweek probably wasn’t sure how to bring it up to him.

If that were the case, then Craig knew that he was going to have to take a more roundabout approach to the issue. He would have to make sure the other was as comfortable as possible before trying to coax it out of him, otherwise it would just cause him to double down.

“Hm?” The boy in question looked over and simply blinked, his mind taking a moment to register that the other was actually asking him a question. He smiled awkwardly as soon as it sank in, trying his best to keep his nerves under control by playing the situation off, “O-oh, don’t listen to him. He was just trying to mess with me.”

Craig nodded and hummed thoughtfully as he began driving through town, deciding that it was probably best to just drop the topic for now, “Do you have anywhere to be later? I was thinking maybe we could just relax tonight, you could stay over or something.”

“I-I’m finished with all of my work, I think. And my parents are out of town at that coffee convention until next week, s-so I don’t have to go in to the shop or anything.”

“Good,” Craig smiled softly as he glanced over at the blonde, glad to see that he was starting to relax a bit, “Let’s go get some food then, I have an idea.”

They drove around town for a bit, making a few stops here and there to grab some things they needed; they stopped at City Wok to get some food, the local grocery store to grab some drinks, and then ran by Craig’s place to grab some blankets before starting to head to their destination, although the older boy wouldn’t say where it was they were actually going.

It wasn’t until they turned onto the narrow incline that lead up to the town overlook that Tweek realized where they were headed. By the time they reached the top, the sun was already almost set, painting the sky in brilliant hues of dark purple and blue. The stars were beginning to come out as well, and the moon was shining brightly above; it looked to be in its Waning Gibbous phase, and Tweek absently noted that it would probably be full in the next couple days.

As they parked, the blonde couldn’t help but take a moment to stare in awe at the town below. You could see everything from up there, and no matter how many times they’d come to that place, it never ceased to amaze him. South Park had always felt so small when you were actually in it, to the point that it could even feel claustrophobic at times, at least in Tweek’s mind.

Looking out over the expanse of lights from so high up, however, made you realized just how big it actually was. It was nice to come up there from time to time, because it was like seeing things from a whole new perspective; ever since the first time he and Craig had ventured up there, it had become a very calming place for him, and they would often go there to talk or simply stare up at the stars.

Tweek watched as his boyfriend gathered up the blankets from the backseat and cranked the volume up on his stereo before opening the door and stepping outside. He immediately recognized the music as the Spotify playlist they’d made together; it included some of their favorite songs, as well as songs that reminded them of each other, and was something that they still actively added to from time to time.

He watched as Craig circled around to his side of the car, opening the door and giving a small smile as he helped the younger out; Tweek carried the food and the drinks out with him, taking up his usual seat on the hood of the car before setting the stuff down next to him.

Craig took up the spot directly to his left, moving to place one of the blankets over the other’s shoulders before placing his palms flat on the hood behind him and leaning back a bit.

They simply sat there quietly at first, the only sounds being that of the wind and music as they gazed up at the night sky and began eating their food. They both always ordered the same thing whenever they would venture up there; Tweek got shrimp fried rice and an egg roll, while Craig got two orders of beef and broccoli, and they both got an order of Crab Rangoon and fried dumplings to share.

The young blonde enjoyed the calm as he ate, blue eyes scanning over the stars to try and pick out what constellations he could recognize. Craig had taught him quite a few over the times they’d come up to the overlook; space was one of the things that the older boy had always been rather passionate about, and seeing the way his eyes lit up whenever he would talk about it always made Tweek smile.

Craig must have noticed the thoughtful look in his eyes as he stared upwards, because he suddenly pointed up to a specific spot in the sky, the other’s gaze following his finger as he did so, “Do you remember what that one is?”

Tweek hummed thoughtfully for a moment, head tilted to the side a bit as he answered, “That’s, uhm…Taurus, right?”

“Yep,” The older boy smiled a bit to himself as he began tracing his fingers along the outline of the constellation, “See, there’s the body, and up there are the horns.” He could see the other nod from the corner of his eye, watching as the blonde pointed up to a different section of the sky.

“And that’s the Big Dipper, right?”

“Yeah, that’s it. You’ve always been really good at finding that one,” Craig couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the way Tweek’s eyes lit up with he recognized the cluster of stars, and he nodded his head as he looked up to where the other was pointing, “That’s good though, it’s a good starting point for finding some of the other bigger ones.”

His gaze fell back to the boy next to him, taking note of the way the moonlight sparkled in his eyes and covered him in a soft, blueish-white hue, causing his pale skin to seem as though it were glowing under the light. Craig couldn’t help but stare, a deep sigh leaving him as he watched the other’s chest rise and fall with each small, quiet breath.

He was…mesmerizing, to say the least.

“Hn?” The sudden feeling of a pair of eyes on him caused Tweek to glance over curiously, a soft blush coming to his cheeks when he saw how lovingly his boyfriend was looking at him. His heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked, and he couldn’t help but shift slightly in his spot under the other’s intense, lidded gaze.

“C-Craig…?” He called out curiously, voice coming out much smaller than he’d intended; he swallowed loudly as Craig’s hand came to rest on his thigh, trying to ignore the intense fluttering in his stomach as the noirette moved closer to him.

“Tweek,” The way the older boy said his name made a shiver go down his spine, the breath leaving him in a deep, shaky sigh, “You know that you can tell me anything, right? If something’s been bothering you, I want to be able to help.”

“I-I know Craig,” He said quietly, a sort of nervous embarrassment coming over him as he began toying with the edges of the blanket wrapped around him, “It’s just…something’s been on my mind recently, a-and I’ve been so stressed out that I can’t even focus half the time, and…I-I don’t, well…I don’t know how to talk to you about it, I guess…”

“Why don’t you know how to talk about it?” Craig asked curiously, watching the younger closely to take note of his reactions, “You know I’m not going to judge you, Tweek. I want you to be able to come to me about anything, regardless of how you think I’m gonna react.”

“Y-yeah but…well, this is embarrassing to think about, so I just…I-I’m not sure how to bring it up…”

“Embarrassing?” The other repeated the word in interest, a soft smile coming to his lips as he reached his free hand up to cup the boy’s cheek, “Tweek, honey you know you don’t have to be embarrassed around me.”

“B-but what if—?”

“ _Nothing_ you could do or say will make me think any differently of you, Tweek,” Craig chuckled and shook his head, running his thumb back and forth lightly along the other’s cheek, “I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide things around me.”

With that he leaned forward, catching Tweek’s lips in a soft, tender kiss; the emotion behind it was enough to leave the blonde breathless, eyes falling closed as his fingers curled tightly into the blanket around him, as if trying to find something tangible to latch onto.

Craig shifted their positions so that he was leaning over the younger a bit, allowing him to deepen the kiss further as his hand dipped under the blanket and around Tweek’s waist, the other keeping its place on his thigh.

Tweek simply allowed himself to be led, the feeling of his boyfriend’s lips taking over his senses and making all of his thoughts come to a halt. When Craig’s tongue ran tentatively along his bottom lip, he was too caught up in the moment to worry or even think about what was happening, his own lips parting without a second thought.

And just like that, it was as if his body were running on auto pilot, that same strange heat beginning to burn inside of him. Craig’s tongue slid against his own, the action slow and intimate, sending a warm shiver coursing through him.

It wasn’t until he moaned softly into the kiss that he actually registered what he was doing, the sound startling him and bringing him crashing back to reality. He pulled back suddenly, eyes going wide as all of the blood seemed to rush to his face at once, leaving his cheeks stained with a deep red.

He was more shocked with himself than anything, a wave of embarrassment washing over him as he stared at the other. Craig’s eyes slowly reopened, a confused light within them as he gazed at the nervous blonde before him.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t…didn’t m-mean to…” Tweek couldn’t help but stumble over his words, eyes averting to the side as he tried to hide his blush. The older boy looked at him for a few seconds, as if he were still confused about what exactly had happened. Then the realization seemed to click, a sweet smile playing at his lips as he rubbed his thumb along the exposed skin of the other’s lower back.

“It’s okay Tweek, don’t apologize,” He said softly, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to the younger’s cheek, “What did I say? You don’t have to be embarrassed around me. Just be you, okay?”

“Okay,” Tweek whispered the word, eyes moving back and forth between Craig’s own as if trying to gauge how much to tell him, “I’ve been feeling…different lately, a-and it’s been making me more anxious than usual, I guess. It’s like I can’t…think straight around you anymore…”

Craig stared deeply into the other’s eyes, a knowing light filling his own as all of the pieces seemed to fall into place. He took a moment to move all of the things on the hood to the ground before turning his attention back to the nervous blonde, his voice low and seductive as he whispered, lidded gaze not straying from the younger for even a second.

“I think I know how to help you.”


	30. First Time for Everything Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HEADS UP!! This chapter and the following two are NSFW and contain explicit sexual content! If that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable at all, you may want to forgo reading these ones!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo everyone!! Bet you weren't expecting to get this sort of notification tonight, were you? What can I say, I'm just full of surprises ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I know, I know, it's been like 50 million years since I've updated last. I really am sorry that it's taken me so long, I know that you all have been waiting so patiently, and I really appreciate your understanding! I knew going into this scene that it was going to take me longer to write than usual, because these sorts of scenes always do, but even I wasn't expecting it to take this long ｡ﾟ･（>﹏<）･ﾟ｡ 
> 
> Believe it or not, I actually have been actively working on this scene for a while now, but things have been kind of rough lately, and with my schedule I've only been able to work on it in short bursts. So, once again, I really do thank you all for your patience! I by no means am planning to stop this fic yet, so I promise I'll continue to work harder to try and get updates out to you guys as soon as I can! Thank you for sticking by me through my absence <3
> 
> (Sorry this part got deleted the first time for some reason;;;)  
> Aside from taking longer than usual to write, this chapter actually ended up being much longer than I anticipated, coming out at a whopping 17 pages total! This is probably the longest NSFW scene I've ever written, so that's something to be proud of I suppose! I really took my time with this one, because sometimes when I'm writing scenes like this I start to stagnate towards the end, and end up rushing to finish so I can move on from it. But not with this one! I took my time and really worked hard to make this scene as good as possible, so I hope that it comes across well, if anything.
> 
> Anyways, I'm done talking your ear off for now, I promise. You guys have been waiting for so long already, I won't keep you on hold any longer! So without further ado, here's the new chapter of The Book of Love! I hope that you all enjoy it, and that it was worth the wait <3
> 
> SLATS~

“Lean back baby,” Tweek couldn’t help but shudder at the words, propping himself up on his elbows and leaning back as he watched the older boy’s every move. Craig moved over top of him, hands placed on either side of the blonde as he gazed down; he caught Tweek’s lips in another sweet kiss before pulling back just a small bit, eyes locking once more with the nervous blues of the boy before him.

“If I do anything you don’t like, just say the word and I’ll stop, okay?”

Tweek could feel his heart race at the words, his stomach twisting in a strange mix of anxiety and excitement as he nodded wordlessly. He could feel his hands shaking, so he pressed them flat against the cool metal beneath to try and hide it; Craig immediately noticed his nervous demeanor regardless, so he gave the other a sweet, reassuring smile as he laced their fingers together tightly.

“It’s okay Tweek,” He leaned forward to whisper in the other’s ear, causing the blonde to shiver at the hot breath that ghosted over his skin, “Just relax…let me take care of you.”

Tweek’s breath hitched in his throat as the older boy began kissing down his neck, leaving small love bites here and there and stopping where his neck and shoulder met. His warm lips parted there, tongue sliding slowly along the sensitive area and causing the younger to let out a soft, surprised moan at the new sensation.

Tweek allowed his eyes to fall closed, head falling back on instinct to offer the other more access; Craig immediately took advantage of this, lips parting further as he began sucking lightly on the soft patch of skin. He let go of one of Tweek’s hands, fingers trailing along the exposed skin of the boy’s lower stomach, and stopping to run his thumb back and forth over the other’s pronounced hipbone.

“N-nhn…!” Tweek’s free hand flew up to cover his mouth at the sudden sharp suck that came to his neck, muffling the loud moan that threatened to spill past his lips. He could feel Craig smirk against his skin before the older boy pulled back a bit, their eyes meeting as the other flashed him an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I’ve kind of always wanted to do that…” Craig said the words more to himself than anything, gaze latching onto the spot where his lips had just been. He brought his other hand up, thumb running lightly over the deep pink mark beginning to form on the younger’s skin, an almost pleased light filling his eyes as he admired his work.

“You don’t have to hide your voice from me, Tweek,” He slowly pulled the blonde’s hand away from his face, eyes gentle as he gazed down into the lidded blues before him, “I like hearing it…lets me know that I’m doing good.”

He leaned forward once more to catch his boyfriend’s lips in a deep, passionate kiss, trying his best to keep him distracted as he began working on his shirt. Craig’s fingers moved deftly as he undid each button, hands slipping under the edges once he was finished to push open the dark green fabric a bit.

He could hear Tweek’s breathing pick up as he began trailing kisses along his collar bone, fingers gliding across his soft skin and reveling in the way the younger’s body twitched and shuddered beneath him.

Craig had already guessed that he blonde would be sensitive, but actually seeing it with his own eyes made his heart pound loudly in his chest. He’d pictured this scene more times than he could count, but the soft moans and shuddering sighs as Tweek arched into his touch was better than anything he could have possibly imagined.

Wanting to test the waters further, the older boy dipped down to the other’s chest, lips hovering over one of his nipples for a moment before flicking his tongue out experimentally to lap at the small bud. It hardened almost instantly, so he moved his free hand up to roll the pad of his thumb over the other, giving it the same attention.

“ _O-oh…_ ” Tweek moaned breathlessly at the feeling, a warm, tingling heat filling his chest and spreading throughout his lower stomach and hips, making him spread his legs further on instinct. Craig immediately took advantage of the opening, positioning himself fully between the other’s legs.

Tweek gasped loudly as Craig’s hand grasped his hip, a loud whine keening in his throat when the other’s hips ground down into his own. The low groan the older boy let out sent warm shivers down his body, hips bucking up on instinct to try and get more of the delicious friction. His head was spinning, the temperature around them growing impossibly hot as they moved against one another.

Tweek could feel Craig’s hand sliding down his body, fingers trailing down his lower stomach and making him shudder under the touch; but it wasn’t until the other started undoing the button of his pants that the reality of the situation really came crashing down on him.

He grabbed Craig’s hands without thinking, the abruptness of the action seeming to startle both of them as everything came to a screeching halt. The other pulled back a small bit to look up at the blonde, his lidded, lust-filled eyes holding small hints of worry.

“Do you want me to stop?” He asked as casually as possible, although his heavy, uneven breathing was difficult to hide.

“N-no!” Tweek shouted suddenly, his cheeks painted in a deep red as he glanced off to the side and mumbled awkwardly, “I-it’s not that, I just…”

Craig recognized that look instantly, because it was one that he’d seen multiple times in the past. The younger looked nervous and confused, to the point that he almost looked scared. Yet still, swimming in those anxious blue eyes was the same desire that Craig himself was feeling; it was a look that meant Tweek knew what he wanted, but was too embarrassed or afraid to actually do anything about it.

So the older boy did the best thing he could think of to make the other comfortable; he made light of the situation to try and take his mind off of the pressure.

“Tweek,” He gazed down at the blonde, a wide, playful smirk spreading across his face as he leaned forward a bit, “Can I touch your penis?”

Tweek’s mind seemed to completely short-circuit as he simply stared at the other with wide eyes, his face growing hot as the familiar words settled on him. His hands suddenly flew up to cover his face as he fell back fully onto the hood of the car, an embarrassed groan leaving him before he started laughing.

“Oh god, d-don’t say it like that! That just makes it worse!” He could hear Craig laugh as well as he peaked out at the older boy through his fingers, noticing how pleased he looked with himself, as if he were completely unfazed by what he’d just said.

“Sorry, sorry,” The other said between chuckles, smirk not fading from his lips for even a second as he shrugged casually, “Didn’t mean to ruin the moment, but I had to. Affirmative consent and all that.”

Tweek couldn’t help but smile back at him as he let his hands fall from his face, although he found it difficult to look Craig in the eyes as he gave his answer, instead glancing off in a random direction. His cheeks were beat red as gave a slow nod, voice soft and quiet as he began to mumble back.

“Y-yes you can, I—” The words immediately stuck in his throat, replaced by a loud gasp as Craig’s fingers slid under the course fabric of his jeans and began palming him through his boxers. He’d been so distracted that he hadn’t even noticed the other had already got the zipper down, his head falling back and a long, drawn out moan leaving him at the incredible heat that spread throughout his hips.

He pressed up into the touch, desperate for the newfound pleasure as the other continued his ministrations, grasping and rubbing him through the fabric until the friction was enough to drive him insane. He could hear Craig let out a deep, shaky breath, and he opened his eyes just a bit to look up at the older boy, curious to see what sort of expression he was making.

Their eyes locked, and the look the other was giving him made his heart race in his chest. It was a look he’d never seen before, those deep green eyes clouded with passion and desire, as if he were the only thing Craig ever wanted to look at again. The attentive, piercing gaze made his body feel as if it were on fire, the tingling warmth that began to pool in his stomach making him let out a small whine.

Craig could feel the blood rush to his face, hear his heart pounding in his ears as if he’d been overtaken by a flash fever. As he looked down at the blonde before him, his mind was filled with nothing but an intense need to hear more of those delicious moans, to watch as his body twitched and shuddered beneath his fingertips.

He tugged the younger’s pants down a bit, hand dipping beneath the elastic to free him from the confines of his boxers. He watched the other’s erection spring to life, standing tall and stiff as he curled his fingers around the shaft and gave a few experimental pumps of his hand, eyes trained on the blonde’s face to take in his every reaction.

Tweek was a bit startled by the sudden rush, breath hitching loudly in his throat as he was exposed to the cool night air. Usually this is where the panic really would have set in, because even though it was getting late and no one typically came up to this place, they were still out in the open regardless, and the fear that someone would stumble upon them would’ve completely taken over his thoughts.

However, his mind came to a screeching halt at the feeling of the other’s hand rubbing up and down his length, and all of his potential worries became nonexistent.

“O-oh god… _Craig_ …!” He threw his head back as he called out the other’s name, the sound of his voice beginning to raise well above that of the music pouring from the windows. His hips bucked up on instinct as the other began pumping him faster, wrist twisting every so often to heighten the sensation.

The sound of Tweek moaning his name caused a sort of switch to flick on inside of Craig, and he couldn’t help but bite his lip as he groaned low in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to make the blonde unravel before him, to pleasure him until he was reduced to nothing but a shaking, moaning mess under his touch.

He’d imagined this scene so many times, dreamt of it, even touched himself to the thought of it until he came crashing towards that sweet, sweet release. But even throughout all of his late night fantasies and zoned out daydreams, _nothing_ could have prepared him for this. Because this was real, and this was _intoxicating._

Craig leaned forward suddenly, lips crashing down into Tweek’s own in a heated mess of tongue and teeth. He stopped to roll his thumb over the head of the other’s cock, gathering the beads of precum that began to form there as he massaged the sensitive area. He could feel Tweek’s body jolt beneath him, feel him moan into the kiss as their tongues slid against one another in a fit of fiery passion.

He tugged the younger’s pants down further, pausing to pull back and help him take them off completely before allowing them to fall to the ground along with his boxers. He stopped for a moment, eyes trailing over Tweek’s bare form and admiring the way the moonlight bathed his skin in a soft, almost mystical glow.

Tweek could feel Craig’s eyes crawling over him, and he had to fight the urge to curl in on himself at the feeling of being completely exposed to the other’s gaze. He’d never been particularly fond of his body, and the irrational fear that the older boy would be turned off by him stuck in the back of his mind no matter how much he tried to force it away.

However, as Craig’s eyes came back up to meet with his own, the soft, loving gaze and gentle smile made his heart skip in his chest. The other’s hands fell to his thighs, fingertips ghosting over his skin as he began to trail his hands up and along his hips and lower stomach, causing the younger to shiver under the touch.

“You’re so beautiful…” He whispered as he leaned forward, catching Tweek’s lips in a soft, sweet kiss. The pure emotion the younger felt behind it filled his chest with a calming warmth, all of his worries and fears being swept away as he allowed himself to give in to Craig fully, his own hands moving to discard the other’s already displaced hat and curl his fingers into the soft black locks beneath.

He followed Craig’s every movement as the older boy began to kiss across his jawline, down his neck and chest, heart racing as the other gradually moved lower and lower.

Craig dipped down to pepper small kisses along the inside of his thighs, the feeling of Tweek’s soft, warm skin against his lips making him sigh contentedly. He placed one of his hands on the blonde’s hip, the other wrapping around his length to give it a few long, slow strokes.

He could feel the younger’s cock pulsate under his fingers as he moved up, tongue flicking out to swirl over the sensitive head and reveling in the way Tweek shuddered beneath him.

The taste of precum filled his senses, the odd salty-sweetness of it washing over his taste buds; he’d be lying if he said he’d never gotten curious enough to taste his own cum, but he’d found in the past that it wasn’t really all that pleasant. Tweek, however, was much different for some reason, and he was suddenly filled with the desire to taste more.

Craig parted his lips, taking the head into his mouth and sucking lightly to draw more of the delicious fluid from his lover. He gazed up at the blonde, their eyes locking as he began to slowly push lower, running his tongue tentatively along the underside of the other’s length. He could see Tweek’s chest rise and fall with each shallow, rapid breath, hear his gasps and moans as he was overtaken by the pleasure.

Tweek tried desperately to keep his hips still as the older boy began to bob his head, taking more and more of him into the amazing warmth. His body quivered as he became overwhelmed with the sensation, eyes falling closed as his loud, uncontrolled voice filled the space around them.

Craig sucked and swirled his tongue along the other’s cock, inching down until the hot flesh filled his mouth completely. He groaned low in his throat, the sight of Tweek’s brow furrowed in pleasure and his glistening, parted lips making his pants feel impossibly tight. He could feel the blonde’s fingers curling tightly into his hair, his heated groans sending jolts like electricity straight to his cock.

“ _Fuck_ , C-Craig…!” Tweek cried out, voice raising in pitch as his body trembled fiercely. The world felt as though it were spinning around him, his rapid, shallow pants making him feel light headed as an indescribable heat began pooling in his stomach. He’d never felt anything like this before, the overwhelming pleasure filling his senses and leaving him with nothing but the option of giving in fully to the boy before him.

The other began to pick up his pace, knowing that he was getting close; the amazingly wet heat brought Tweek crashing towards his release, a string of jumbled, pleading moans slipping from his lips as his hold on reality began to slip between his fingers.

“W-wait, _Craig I—_! Oh god, I-I can’t—!” The younger knew that he couldn’t hold on any longer, his hands darting to the other’s shoulders in an attempt to push him off.

Ignoring his warning, Craig grabbed his hands tightly to hold them in place, pushing down to engulf his length fully once again before sucking hard and humming low in his throat. He gazed up, eyes trained to Tweek’s face to soak in his every reaction, and reveling in the way his eyes screwed up tightly and his lips fell open with several sobbing, broken moans.

The vibrations along his cock proved too much for the younger to handle, the assault of sensations sending him flying over the edge as he reached his climax. He threw his head back with one final, strained cry, voice cracking from the mere volume of it as the pleasure came crashing over him in waves.

His back arched off of the cool metal beneath, toes curling and hips jolting as his body trembled under the indescribable euphoria, his mind completely shutting down as everything around him seemed to disappear. All he could think of, all he could feel was the insane pleasure as his orgasm ripped through him, crying out into the night air as he came into his lover’s mouth.

Craig continued to work him until he was completely spent, sucking every last drop from the boy beneath him and moaning low in his throat as the taste washed over his tongue. Only once Tweek’s body grew limp, his gasps and moans devolving into small, keening whines did he finally pull back, satisfied that he’d brought the other to completion.

He swallowed the fluid in his mouth after a moment, leaning up to gaze lovingly down at the blonde before him. His eyes were shut, brow furrowed ever so slightly and swollen lips parted as his chest rose and fell with each deep, wanting breath. His hair was disheveled, skin completely flush and glistening under the pale light of the moon.

He was perfect. _Everything_ about him was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (P.S.) Because this scene is so long, while I have read over different parts at different points in time, I haven't actually sat down to read the whole thing altogether, so I apologize if there are any mistakes!


	31. First Time for Everything Pt. 2

Tweek continued to simply lay there for several long moments, basking in the afterglow as his senses gradually began returning to him. Everything felt hazy, his body overtaken with the sensation as if he were floating, and the tips of his fingers tingling as his breathing slowly began to return to normal. He let out a long, shaky sigh before his eyes finally fluttered open once more, gaze a bit unfocused as he looked up at the boy before him.

Craig was looking down at him, eyes lidded and a sweet smile playing on his lips; he leaned down, hands coming up to cup the younger’s face tenderly as he captured him in a soft, loving kiss.

“I love you so much,” He whispered against the other’s lips, moving to pepper slow kisses along his cheeks and the corners of his mouth, “You’re everything to me, Tweek.”

“I love you too,” Their lips met once more as they kissed intimately, the touch of their tongues slow and sensual as they embraced one another. Tweek wrapped his bare legs around the Craig’s waist, tightening his hold as he brought the other against his shaking form.

Even in his dazed state, all the younger could think of was the desire to pull the older boy closer, to feel his heated skin flush against his own. Craig pulled back a small bit, eyes locking with those of the boy beneath him as he paused to catch his breath.

“Do you…want to keep going?” His gaze was searching, an almost tentative tone to his voice as he spoke, “We don’t have to, we can stop here if you want.”

“No, I…I want to.” Tweek mumbled quietly as he fumbled with the buttons of the other’s jacket, slowly beginning to undo them.

“Are you sure?” Craig tried once more, wanting to make absolutely sure that he didn’t try to move forward if the younger wasn’t comfortable, “It’s okay if you want to stop. I don’t want to move too fast if—”

“Craig,” The blonde smiled at the other’s careful consideration, undoing the final button and sliding the garment off of his shoulders before gazing up at him in want, “Make love to me…”

With that he pulled the older boy into yet another deeply passionate kiss, stopping any concerns or second-guesses that may have been going through his mind.

He propped up on his elbows slightly, pushing Craig’s jacket off fully and setting it to the side before running his hands experimentally along the other’s lower stomach. His touch was light and curious as he began to explore the older boy’s body, the feeling of Craig’s heated skin beneath his fingertips making his heart race all over again.

He tugged at the fabric once he reached the other’s chest, wanting to get rid of the article completely. Craig thankfully got the hint, their lips only disconnecting for a few seconds as he pulled the shirt over his head before letting it fall to the ground, along with the rest of their discarded clothing.

They were back on one another instantly, Tweek’s fingers roaming over the newly exposed skin and reveling in the way the other’s muscled twitched and tightened whenever he reached a particularly sensitive area. He and Craig had seen each other naked plenty of times over the years, especially when they were younger, but this was _much_ different.

Tweek couldn’t count the number of times he’d pictured his boyfriend’s bare form, wondered what it would feel like as their bodies pressed together, slick and feverish with nothing to hold them back from one another. He wanted to bring Craig the same delicious pleasure the other had given him, wanting to drive the older boy until he could see nothing, think of nothing but him.

His heart pounded against his chest as these thoughts raced through his mind, hands slowly straying down until his fingers reached the course fabric of the other’s jeans. He fingered the button idly before popping it open, pulling the zipper down in an almost deliberately slow manner as their tongues continued to collide in a fit of lustful passion.

He hooked his fingers under the waistline before tugging down, watching as Craig’s impressive length sprang to life. He couldn’t help but stare for a moment as they pulled apart, eyes wide as he swallowed hard. The other’s erection stood tall, significantly bigger than his own; he reached out tentatively, fingers curling around the shaft as he gave a few slow, curious pumps of his hand.

Craig bit his lip as he watched Tweek’s hand on his cock, the feeling of the younger’s slim fingers making his hips jolt on instinct. He thrust forward into the touch, eyes falling closed as he gave in to the delicious friction.

The low groan he let out went straight to Tweek’s own cock, already growing hard once again as he continued to work the older boy. He watched the other’s expression intently, confidence growing as he began to speed up his movements. He twisted his wrist in the same way Craig had done to him, stopping to rub his fingers over the head, already slick and glistening with precum.

Curious, the blonde brought his fingers to his lips to lap at the sticky substance, letting out a soft hum as the salty, musty taste filled his senses; it wasn’t necessarily a good taste, but it wasn’t altogether unpleasant either.

The taste wasn’t what mattered though; what mattered was the action itself, and the reaction it pulled from the boy before him.

Curious as to why Tweek had stopped, Craig opened his eyes questioningly, only for them to widen at the sight of the other’s tongue running slowly along his fingers. The breath hitched in his throat as their eyes locked, the younger’s sensual gaze making him feel feverish.

Tweek placed his hand to Craig’s chest, leaning up and slowly pushing the other back until he was standing fully. The older boy watched his every move, eyebrow raised as he tried to figure out what the blonde was up to.

It wasn’t until Tweek dropped to his knees that he finally caught on, cheeks flushed and eyes widening as he stared down at the younger.

“Y-you don’t have to,” He tried to say, but it was clear by the determined look in the other’s eyes that he wasn’t going to listen.

“I want to…” Tweek mumbled the words more to himself than anything, confirming his desires aloud as he eyed the other’s length. He continued to stroke it slowly as he leaned forward, tongue flicking out to run tentatively along the pulsing, heated flesh.

The salty taste filled his senses once again as he swirled his tongue over the head, the sound of Craig’s shallow, shaking breath spurring him forward. He slid his tongue along the shaft, moving down to the base before slowly licking back to the tip, exploring the other’s cock with his mouth.

He paused for a moment before parting his lips and taking the dripping head into his mouth, sucking lightly and trying to mimic the same things Craig had done to bring him such indescribable pleasure. He could feel the older boy’s fingers in his hair, hear the pants and moans that slipped from his lips as he took more the other’s length into his mouth.

Tweek began to bob his head, gradually inching forward until Craig’s cock filled his mouth completely. Unable to fit it fully, he reached up to grasp the base firmly in his hand, beginning to pump it in time with his movements.

“ _Yes baby_ , that’s it…” Craig moaned lowly as he gazed down at the younger, fingers running through the soft blonde locks as he watched his lover work him. Tweek hummed softly at the praise, the vibrations making Craig buck forward without warning; he couldn’t help but gag as the other’s cock hit the back of his throat, quickly pulling back as he fell into a coughing fit, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth.

“ _Shit!_ ” Craig cursed under his breath as he kneeled down, cupping the other’s face in his hands as he looked at him apologetically, “I-I’m sorry babe, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” Tweek nodded once he was able to calm himself down, reaching up to wipe at his mouth with the back of his hand, “Surprised me more than anything.”

The blonde leaned forward at that, capturing the other’s lips in a deep, tender kiss. They stayed like that for several long moments before Craig pulled back, gazing into Tweek’s lidded blue eyes as he went into thought. He stood after a few seconds, gently bringing the younger up as well before holding up a finger and motioning for him to stay there.

Tweek sat back on the hood, watching curiously as the older boy went around the side of the car and opened the passenger door before beginning to rummage around in the glove box. He returned after a moment, holding what appeared to be a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. Even though the blonde had never actually seen it in person before, he still knew what it was; but more than that, he knew what it was used for.

He could feel his cheeks heat up, a small, almost nervous smile coming to his face as he watched the other approach him. Craig noticed his tense posture, dipping down to give him a soft, sweet kiss before looking into his eyes once again, gaze searching.

“Are you sure you want this?”

Tweek nodded without a second thought, the other’s consideration helping to calm his nerves a bit.

“Yeah, I do,” He couldn’t help but bite at the inside of his lip as he glanced off to the side, fingers drumming lightly on the cool metal beneath, “I-I’m sorry, I just…”

He trailed off, but Craig knew what he was trying to say regardless.

“I’ll be gentle, don’t worry,” The older boy smiled reassuringly, pressing a quick kiss to the other’s cheek as he motioned for him to lean back, “If anything’s too much just say the word and we’ll stop.”

Tweek nodded as he lay back fully and allowed Craig to lead him, feet planted on the edge of the hood as he opened his legs wide. He couldn’t help but blush at the compromising position, now fully exposed to the other’s attentive, wandering gaze.

He watched as Craig popped off the lid of the bottle, tilting it to the side and beginning to lather his fingers in the slick, shining substance. He couldn’t help but fidget in anticipation, mind beginning to race as his heart pounded loudly against his chest.

What if it was too painful? What if he couldn’t handle it and they had to stop partway through? What if he wasn’t able to satisfy the other?

Craig must’ve noticed his intense expression, because he suddenly leaned down to capture the nervous blonde’s lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He massaged the younger’s tongue with his own, trying to take his mind off of the worries he knew must have been going through his head.

Craig had spent many nights reading up on and preparing for this very situation, so that when the time came, he would be able to take all of the pressure and fear from Tweek’s hands and give his lover the best experience possible.

He reached down slowly, spreading the other’s legs further before pressing the pad of a finger to his entrance, the tight ring of muscles twitching at the contact.

Tweek couldn’t help but jolt at the feeling, the cool lube sending a small shiver down his spine as the other began rubbing his finger in long, drawn-out circles.

Craig began to apply pressure, gradually working him open; the younger could feel the finger slip inside of him after a few more seconds of this, the motion fluid and unhindered thanks to the lube. His brow furrowed slightly, hips stirring at the foreign intrusion.

It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t really pleasant either. It was more uncomfortable than anything, the feeling of the digit moving around inside of him; he could feel it push all the way in before pulling out halfway, the older boy repeating the action a few times to try and loosen him up.

It wasn’t until a second finger began sliding into him that the pain came, a dull sting shooting up his lower back. He tensed up instantly, face scrunching up in displeasure as he tried to keep his breathing steady. Craig noticed the change, the other’s body feeling as though it were trying to force him out on instinct.

“I need you to try and relax for me sweetie,” He leaned down to place a soft kiss to the corner of the blonde’s lips, his free hand moving to grasp the other’s length and pump it slowly, trying to take his mind off of the discomfort, “I promise it’ll feel better when you do.”

Tweek nodded absently as he hummed in acknowledgement, the feeling of Craig’s hand on his cock sending a tingling warmth spreading through his hips.

The two sensations began to blend together as the other started moving his fingers in a scissoring motioning, the line between pleasure and pain becoming a muddled blur; he let out a quiet, almost confused moan, as if his body wasn’t quite sure how  to react to the strange new mix of feelings.

He slowly began to relax and loosen up under the touch, hips starting to rock ever so slightly in time with the other’s fingers. Craig took this as a sign to move forward, slipping a third finger inside of his lover as he continued to pump them in and out, trying to make sure he prepared the younger as much as possible, so as to not cause him as much pain later.

Tweek breathed in sharply before letting out a small hiss at the feeling, eyes squeezed shut tightly as the pain began to take over once again. He forced his body to relax regardless of how much it wanted to tense up, knowing full well that it would only make things more difficult if he did.

He could feel Craig’s fingers moving inside of him, reaching deeper than he ever would have thought possible as they worked him open. He let out a few quiet, high pitched whines as he tried to adjust to the feeling, although it was proving much more difficult than before.

Picking up on this, Craig began stroking the blonde’s cock faster, making sure to pay extra attention to the sensitive head and trying his best to alleviate his lover’s discomfort. It seemed to work, the tight ring of muscles loosening around his fingers and allowing him to push deeper; he began scissoring his fingers once again, stretching the other’s hole open as best he could to prepare him for what was to come.

Tweek’s body jolted, a loud, sharp gasp leaving him that seemed to surprise them both from how sudden it was. Craig’s first instinct was to think that he’d hurt the younger, but just as he was about to apologize he realized that the look on the other’s face wasn’t one of pain.

He was confused for a moment, but it clicked in the back of his mind a few seconds later; he remembered reading about this, that there was a certain area that was supposed to bring a lot of pleasure when stimulated. Testing out his theory, he tried his best to repeat the same motion he’d just made, and was rewarded with the same surprised response.

Tweek gasped out at the feeling, pushing back against Craig’s fingers as something in him was struck. A new kind of pleasure came coursing through his hips, one that spread all the way through his body and left the tips of his fingers and toes tingling. He had no idea where it had come from or what it was, the sensation taking him by complete surprise; all he knew for sure was that he wanted more of it. And thankfully, he didn’t need to ask.

Craig shifted his fingers around for a moment before finding the small bundle of nerves, eyes trained to the younger’s face as he began to massage it curiously. The reaction was instantaneous, and it was intense.

Tweek let out a string of surprised, almost confused moans as he was overtaken by the indescribable pleasure, his body growing limp and his legs quivering, unable to do anything except give in to the feeling. He couldn’t speak, or even think as the other continued his ministrations, a litany of uncontrolled gasps and moans leaving his lips at the assaulting pleasure, unable to do anything but simply lay there and take it.

Craig watched on in awe, the breath leaving him in deep, heavy pants as he watched his lover practically melt under his touch. Seeing Tweek in such a debauched state and knowing that _he_ was the one bringing him this pleasure made his head spin, his own cock aching and dripping as he watched the blonde unraveling before him. He was overcome with want, his mind feeling feverish as he slipped his fingers out of the other, no longer able to hold himself back anymore. He needed Tweek, and he knew that Tweek needed him too.

The blonde slowly opened his eyes after a moment, gazing up at the older boy in a daze as his mind and body tried to recover from the sensations. Craig stared down at him with intense, lustful eyes, the look sending a shiver of anticipation down his spine.

He knew what that look meant, and he knew that he was ready. He allowed his legs to fall open wordlessly, lidded gaze not straying from Craig’s own for even a moment as he let out a deep, shaky breath, knowing full well what both of them were so desperately craving.

“Please,” he whispered, words dripping with desire as he said the very thing he knew was racing through both of their minds, “I need you..."


	32. First Time for Everything Pt. 3

Tweek moved his legs to wrap around the other’s waist at that, pulling his hips forward to urge him to continue. Craig allowed himself to be pulled in, his hand placed firmly to the other’s hip as he used the other to grasp his own length, aligning himself with Tweek’s entrance. He could feel his hands beginning to shake, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to keep his breathing steady.

It was at that moment that the gravity of the situation came crashing down on him, the fears that he’d been burying bursting from their confines and leaving him frozen in place. He couldn’t help but worry that if he were to screw this up, it would put the younger off forever. Everything had to be perfect; HE had to be perfect, and that was a lot more pressure than he was used to dealing with.

Noticing his hesitation, Tweek reached down to grab the hand that was gripping his waist, slowly guiding it up to his chest to rest over his heart. Craig could feel it pound under his touch, an almost surprised light filling his eyes as he simply stared for a moment before looking up, gaze meeting with the younger’s once more.

“Can you feel it?” Tweek asked, voice soft as a small smile came to his lips, “Can you feel how much you affect me? How badly I want you?”

The older boy swallows hard at the words, biting at the inside of his lip as he glanced down at the blonde before him and focused on the feeling of the beating beneath his fingertips.

“It’s okay Craig,” Tweek continued after a small pause, smile widening a he looked up at the other with a deep, loving gaze, “I want this...I want _you_.”

Those words were all it took for Craig’s fears to melt away, confidence returning as he smiled back at his lover and leaned down, capturing him in another deep, passionate kiss. He steadied himself before moving his hips forward, slowly beginning to enter the boy beneath him.

Tweek gasped out as he felt the head slip inside of him, stretching him open as a dull sting began to spread through his hips. He dug his fingers into the other’s forearms, nails scraping ever so slightly as Craig continued pushing into him.

He couldn’t keep his body from tensing up this time, breath coming out shallow and uneven as he tried desperately to adjust to the burning pain that shot up his lower back. Even with how well the other had prepared him, it didn’t stop him from feeling as if he were being split in half as small, desperate whines caught in his throat, Craig’s tongue sliding against his own and muffling the pained noises.

The older boy stopped halfway, their lips disconnecting as he let out a low, drawn out moan. His eyes were squeezed shut tightly, brow knit together in concentration as he tried his best to keep his hips still.

“So tight...” He groaned absently, voice coming out breathy and strained, “Y-you need to try and relax, honey...”

“I-it hurts...” Tweek’s voice cracked slightly as he spoke, fingers digging harder into the other’s skin as he tried to keep his breathing steady.

“Do you want to stop?” Craig was just about to pull back out when the younger’s legs suddenly wrapped tightly around his hips to hold him in place, arms moving up to wrap loosely around his neck as well.

“N-no, keep going...I’m okay, I promise,” He gazed up into the other’s eyes reassuringly, finally forcing his body to relax as he used his leverage to pull Craig’s hips forward, “Please, d-don’t stop...I don’t want to stop...”

Craig let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, body shaking as he was pushed deeper into the deliciously tight heat. The absolute desperation in Tweek’s eyes made it impossible for him to stop, even if he’d wanted to. 

He reached down to grasp the other’s hips once again, using them to keep himself steady as he continued to move forward, pushing all the way in until they were connected fully. He stilled once he was in completely, hands trembling as he pressed his forehead down into the younger’s shoulder; it took everything he had to keep from moving right away, but his desire to make sure Tweek was comfortable was far greater than that for his own satisfaction.

Tweek breathed in deeply as he felt Craig’s hips pressed flush to his own, the other’s length reaching into him much deeper than his fingers had. He could feel the older boy’s vice-like grip on his waist, fingers digging into his hipbones hard enough to likely leave bruises behind.

The pain was practically numbing, the intense burning gradually giving way to a dull ache; but more than the pain was the feeling of being completely filled by his lover, being completely connected in a way he never would have imagined. 

A whirlwind of emotions welled within his chest as he allowed his eyes to fall closed, simply basking in the feeling of being one with the boy before him. All he could see, all he could feel was Craig; the older boy took over his senses completely, to the point that he could think of nothing else, even if he’d wanted to.

Everything around them seemed to melt away, leaving nothing in its wake but the two of them, holding on to one another as if this were the last moment they would ever spend in each other’s arms.

Tweek’s eyes fluttered open once more as Craig slowly lifted his head, their lidded gazes meeting, eyes swimming with love and lust and pure _want_ for one another. It was as if, in that moment, their minds and souls were connected along with their bodies, and each of them knew just how desperately they needed each other. Not just then, but always.

They _always_ needed each other, and they always would.

They stared deeply into one another eye’s, their hot breath mixing as they each leaned forward, lips connecting in a gentle, loving kiss. Finally Tweek began to adjust to the feeling of being filled, hips stirring ever so slightly as the tension slowly began to fade. His body relaxed, the sharp pain dulling, and he used his legs to pull the other forward, urging him to continue.

Craig took the hint, drawing his hips back halfway before slowly pushing back in to the hilt; he repeated the action a few times, eyes falling closed and brow furrowing as he tried to keep a slow, careful pace. He broke from the kiss before pressing his forehead down into Tweek’s own, several strained moans slipping from his lips as he began to shake from the pleasure, all of his senses seeming to hyper focus on the blonde beneath him.

“ _God_ , you feel so good...” He couldn’t keep his breathing even as he began to pant deeply, mind clouded from the rush of sensations coursing through his body.

Tweek tried to keep himself still as the other moved inside of him, thrusting in and out at a slow, leisurely pace. It was clear that Craig was trying to hold back for his sake, but as the discomfort gradually gave way to the same strange, muddled pleasure as before, he found himself growing more daring. Wanting more.

He began to rock his hips back in time with Craig’s thrusts, allowing himself to give in to the numbing pleasure as the other’s cock reached deep inside of him. He let out a small, keening whine as his prostate was brushed against, the sudden stimulation making him thrust his hips down hard to try and get more of the feeling.

The older boy seemed notice the change, stilling for a moment to readjust his angle before snapping his hips forward, hitting the familiar spot dead on.

“ _A-ah_!” Tweek threw his head back as he cried out, fingers digging into the other’s skin as an intense shock of pleasure ripped through his body, hips jolting and back arching up off of the hood of the car.

He barely had time to recover from the initial surprise before Craig slowly drew his hips back out, only to thrust them forward hard, striking that sweet bundle of nerves and making his mind completely shut down. He clung desperately to the other as he suddenly began to quicken his pace, bodies rocking together as the pleasure washed over them in unison.

Craig placed his hand under one of Tweek’s knees, pushing his leg further up and allowing him more leverage to push even deeper into the younger, making sure to keep hitting that spot he knew would drive the other over the edge.

He kept his eyes trained on Tweek’s face, watching the way his expression twisted up in pleasure, eyes squeezed shut tightly and mouth falling open as his sweet moans filled the space around them. He wanted nothing more than to make his lover tremble in pleasure, bring him to that delicious climax he knew he was racing towards.

The way Tweek cried out into the night air, the way his thighs shuddered and his fingers dug harder each time Craig pushed deeper into his body was intoxicating. The way the moonlight fell over his blush-stained cheeks, the way his pitch rose when that spot within him was struck over and over again...everything about this boy was perfect.

“I love you so much...” Craig pressed his forehead down into the other’s own once more, their eyes meeting as the younger gazed up at him, eyes burning and hazed with desire.

“I-I love you too...!” Tweek brought his hands up, fingers tangling into the other’s dark locks as he pulled the older boy down into a deep, passionate kiss. It was hot and messy and full of such raw emotion, tongues and teeth colliding in a fit of lust and love.

Craig could feel himself slowly coming towards his release, the deliciously tight heat of the other’s body driving him wild, and he knew from his reactions that Tweek wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, either. He reached his free hand between them, fingers curling around the base of the younger’s cock as he started pumping in time with his thrusts.

Tweek’s voice cracked slightly as the new pleasure assaulted his senses, back arching further as his grip on his lover tightened. He pulled away from the kiss, saliva dripping from the corner of his lips as he gasped deeply for air.

“W-wait, Craig I... _ah_...I-I can’t...!” The pleasure was too much for him to handle at once, the sensations nearly overwhelming him as his body was brought closer and closer to release.

“It’s okay baby, come for me...” The other whispered in his ear, his deep, husky voice sending shivers down his spine, “I want you to come for me...”

Those words were enough to send him flying over the edge, head tossed back as he clung to the other for dear life, no longer able to control himself as he came undone.

“Oh god, I-I’m gonna...FUCK, C-Craig... _Craig_!” He cried out the other’s name as he came hard between them, his orgasm rushing through him and making his body jolt and tremble under the boy’s touch.

His muscles spasmed around Craig’s cock, the intense, melting heat bringing the older boy seconds from his own release. He dug his fingers into Tweek’s smooth skin, head falling to the younger’s shoulder as he was brought to his own climax. His hips thrust forward one final time, a long, drawn out moan slipping from his lips as he came inside his lover.

Tweek could feel the heat shooting deep within him, a soft whimper leaving his throat at the feeling of being filled by it. Everything around them seemed to be moving in slow motion, their bodies stilling as they stayed in place for several long moments, captured in one another’s embrace.

It felt like forever before Craig slowly pulled out, cum dripping from the place they’d been connected. Their heavy panting filled the air as their rapid heartbeats slowly began to return to normal, minds and bodies hazed in the afterglow.

Tweek was overcome with a sudden exhaustion, his body feeling much heavier than normal, as if suddenly very acutely aware of gravity’s force on it. He could feel Craig pull away completely after a moment, his body shuddering as his glistening skin was fully exposed to the cool night air. Craig was looking down at him lovingly, a soft, sweet smile coming to his lips as he watched the younger’s lidded, hazy gaze. 

He walked around to the side of the car for a moment, reaching in through the window and grabbing a few things before returning to the tired, dazed blonde.

He used a small towel he’d grabbed to clean Tweek up as best he could, the other’s gaze finally beginning to refocus as he watched Craig’s movements. After a few more moments he propped himself up on his elbows and leaned up, trying hard to fight the heaviness in his limbs.

He watched as Craig slipped on his pants and gathered their clothes up from the ground, dusting them off a bit to make sure they hadn’t gotten dirty.

“Can you stand, babe?” He asked curiously, taking note of the extreme exhaustion on the blonde’s features and wanting to make sure he was okay.

“Y-yeah, I should be—“ Tweek began to push himself off of the hood of the car, only for his knees to give out as soon as he stood up. He fell forward into the other’s arms, and luckily Craig had already been expecting that sort of reaction and was ready to catch him.

“O-oh shit, I’m sorry, I—“

“You’re okay sweetie, calm down. Just sit back and I’ll help you get your clothes on, okay?”

Tweek couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed at his body’s sudden lack of functionality, but he nodded wordlessly anyways, a soft blush covering his cheeks as he leaned back against the car once again. Craig helped him to get his boxers and pants on before reaching up, pulling his shirt back together and beginning to do the buttons up. 

“Thank you Craig...” Tweek mumbled shyly, although he found it cute that the other was so eager to help him, and he couldn’t keep the soft smile from coming to his lips.

“Anything for you, honey,” The older boy smiled back as he leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to the other’s lips before pulling back and wrapping his arms behind the blonde’s knees and back, lifting him up so that he didn’t have to try and stand, “Now how about we go back home so you can get some rest?”

Tweek nodded absently as he allowed Craig to place him in the passenger’s seat, eyes following the older boy’s movements as he went to grab the rest of the things they’d left in front of the car. He placed everything in the back before climbing into the driver’s seat, one of his hands sliding over to lace his fingers with Tweek’s own, giving his hand a small squeeze as he smiled sweetly. 

They headed out at that, the late night streets quiet and empty as they travelled back to the house. The soft hum of the engine and the orange glow cast along the street by the street lamps was enough to lull the younger, eyes falling closed as he slowly drifted from consciousness.

Craig could see the way the other’s expression softened, see the way his chest slowly rose and fell as he glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself, thinking just how lucky he was to have such an amazing, loving person in his life. He knew that he wanted to keep Tweek by his side forever, because he’d found in Tweek a part of himself that he always knew had been missing, but was never able to find anywhere else. 

It wasn’t very often that Craig felt sentimental, but in that moment he realized just how much the young blonde had affected his life for the better, and how different things would’ve been for him if the other hadn’t come into his life all those years ago.

As they pulled up to his house, he found himself thanking whatever being had sent him the love of his life. Craig didn’t believe in much, but what he did believe in was that Tweek was the only one for him. All he wanted was to make the other happy, to continue through life side by side, cheering each other on through all of the change and progress they were destined to go through.

He quietly got out and made his way over to the passenger’s side once again, dipping down to gently draw the sleeping blonde into his arms and lift him up. As he carried him inside, bringing him up to rest in the bed they often shared, he knew that he wanted to continue to wake up with this boy by his side every morning.

He never wanted to let him go, and he would do everything he could to keep Tweek happy and by his side. All he wanted was to let the blonde always know how much he was loved, and be there to remind him whenever he would start to forget.

Even with Tweek’s faults, the things he knew the younger wished he could change in himself, Craig loved him unconditionally. He never thought that he would have ever felt this way about anything.

It was as if Tweek coming into his life had brought color to a world that had always been gray. And he hoped that, in some way, he was able to do the same. Because in his mind, this twitchy, emotional, paranoid boy deserved the world.

And he was going to do everything in his power to give it to him.


	33. Rainy Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you've all had a good day today! Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments on the last chapters, it really does mean a lot to see that you guys enjoyed them so much <3 I always feel nervous about NSFW chapters because I'm never sure if they're going to turn out the way I hope, but I'm really glad to see that they ended up coming across the way I wanted them to!
> 
> Not much to say about this chapter, I figured it would be nice to have something a little more fluffy after the last ones, so I hope that you all enjoy it! As I said before, I'm going to try and get on a more regular upload schedule now, so expect the next chapter to be out sometime next week.
> 
> And as always, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read and for enjoying the story as much as I enjoy writing it!
> 
> SLATS~

The two slept deeply throughout the night, curled up under the thick comforter as they stayed wrapped in one another’s arms. 

As morning slowly came around, the overcast sky continued to bathe the world in a dark, dreary gray. Raindrops began to fall from the clouds above, pattering softly against the window pane and leaving small trails of water in their wake.

Craig slowly began to open his eyes as the soft sound of rumbling thunder met his ears; it took him a moment to orient himself as his senses returned to him, still a bit groggy after being pulled from the depths of sleep. Once he became more aware of his surroundings, he glanced down at the sleeping blonde curled up in his arms, a soft smile coming to his lips as he gazed at the other’s peaceful expression. 

He shifted a bit after a moment, trying his best not to disturb his lover as he turned to look at his alarm clock. He stared at the bright neon letters from over his shoulder, noting that it was almost time for his alarm to go off and for them to get ready for school.

However, after a few moments of thought, he carefully reached over to turn it off, deciding that it would probably be for the best if the two of them skipped classes today; he knew that there was a pretty good possibility that Tweek would be exhausted, and probably even still in pain after the previous night, so he didn’t want the younger to try and push himself. 

Besides, he couldn’t help but think that a day as dark and dreary as this one was meant to be spent inside.

Craig could feel the younger stir in his arms a small bit, and as he glanced back down he could see that the other seemed to be waking as well. Tweek’s eyes slowly fluttered open, gaze a bit unfocused as he blinked a few times, presumably trying to shake the thick veil of sleep that hung over him. He reached up to rub at his eyes for a moment before glancing up at the boy before him, although his gaze was still swimming with exhaustion, just as Craig had expected.

“Morning...” He mumbled sleepily as he went to stretch his heavy limbs, only to stop abruptly as a small hiss left through his teeth, face scrunching up in displeasure.

Everything felt sore and sluggish, but more than that was the dull ache that spread through his hips and lower back, making him go limp on the bed only a few seconds later. He couldn’t help but let out a quiet groan at the feeling as he tried his best to fight it off, but ultimately proving unsuccessful.

“How are you feeling?” Craig gave a guilty smile as he rubbed his hand gently up and down Tweek’s back, knowing full well what that expression meant, “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, just...hurts a little...” Tweek’s voice came out much softer than usual, a bit strained from how loud he’d been the night before.

He could feel his cheeks heat up as the memory returned, and although he was definitely experiencing the aftermath today, he couldn’t help but smile fondly as he turned to look up at the older boy once again. Even if he did have to deal with some discomfort as a result, he by no means held any regrets on the matter, and knew that he would do it all over again if given the chance.

He leaned up after a moment and glanced over the other’s shoulder to check the clock as well, eyes widening a bit and a small surge of panic rising within him when he realized what time it was.

“Oh no, we’re gonna be late if—!” Tweek tried to sit himself up without thinking, the abruptness of it causing all of his muscles to tense as a sharp pain shot up his lower back.

He froze up in his spot, eyes squeezed shut tightly as the breath caught in his throat; he simply stayed still, balancing himself on his hands as he tried to force the pain away, only to realize that it wasn’t going to be as simple as just trying to ignore it. He was just going to have to endure, he decided, before trying to get up once again. 

This time, however, a hand was placed to his chest before gently guiding him to lay back down, effectively keeping him from trying to move any further.

“I figured we could stay home, take the day off. Some more time to recuperate would probably be good for you,” Craig leaned down to press a quick kiss to the other’s lips before pulling back again, gazing down at him apologetically, “I’m sorry, I know you’re probably in pain still...just let me take care of you today, okay? Otherwise I’m just gonna worry about you all day.”

Tweek opened his mouth to argue, but the look of genuine concern on the other’s face managed to take all of the words from him; his lips pursed slightly as he thought it over, eyes looking back and forth between Craig’s own and ultimately coming to the conclusion that he just couldn’t fight that look.

He didn’t really like skipping class when he could help it, because he was always worried that he would end up missing something really important, but...he supposed that, if anything, he could just ask Kyle and Kenny to send him their notes, considering that he had all of his classes with at least one of them.

Besides, he couldn’t deny the fact that more rest did sound really appealing, especially considering how much his body seemed to want to work against him at the moment. 

Finally he let out a soft, thoughtful hum as he nodded, deciding that one day off would probably do both of them more good in the long run than it would bad, “Okay...as long as it’s just today, though.”

Craig’s smile widened as he nodded in return, arms wrapped tightly around the blonde as he pulled him close.

“Of course honey,” He pressed a small kiss to the top of the other’s hair, thinking for a moment before remarking absently, “I think my parents are probably gone by now...how about we go downstairs and get some breakfast?”

“Can I...take a shower first?” Tweek hummed lowly as he shifted in his spot a bit, a soft blush dusting over his cheeks, “I still feel kinda...uhm...”

He trailed off at that, but Craig still knew what he was trying to say. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the younger’s sudden shyness, a sweet smile spreading across his face as he ran his fingers through the other’s messy locks.

“A shower does sound nice. Mind if I join you?”

“O-oh, uhm...” Tweek seemed a bit taken aback by the request at first, but he couldn’t keep the small, timid smile from coming to his lips as he glanced off at nothing in particular, “...I don’t see why not.

“Wait, what about Tricia?” He asked after a moment of thought, looking back at the older boy curiously, “She hasn’t left for school yet, has she?”

“She’s on a field trip in D.C. right now, she left yesterday morning.” Craig sat up and scooped the blonde into his arms before he could protest, rising from the bed as he flashed a bright smile, “Just the two of us today.”

Tweek’s face flushed, arms wrapping around Craig’s neck for support as the other began to carry him out of the room bridal-style.

“You don’t have to carry me Craig, I-I can walk...” He tried to protest, but the older boy continued to carry him regardless, only stopping to gently set him down once they’d reached the bathroom.

“I don’t want you pushing yourself,” Craig turned the water on and smiled at the blonde over his shoulder, switching the shower on once he thought it was warm enough, “Like I said, just let me take care of you today, okay? It’ll make me feel better.”

Tweek couldn’t help but smile back at the other’s consideration; it was something that he was pretty used to, Craig wanting to take care of him, but no matter how many times he experienced it, it never ceased to show just how deeply the older boy cared about him.

He simply nodded in agreement, watching curiously as the other moved around him and back out into the hallway before holding up his index finger.

“I’ll be right back, I’m gonna grab us some clean clothes. You can go ahead and get in if you want, I’ll only be a minute.”

With that, Tweek watched after the noirette as he disappeared around the corner, heading back in the direction of the bedroom.

He hadn’t even realized until that moment that he was still in the same clothes he’d been wearing yesterday, but considering that he’d passed out before they’d made it home, he hadn’t really gotten the chance to change. He slowly shed his dirty clothes, allowing them to fall to a pile on the floor as he turned to get into the shower.

He pulled back the curtain before stepping in, a deep sigh leaving him as the warm water washed over his body. He simply stood under the spray for a moment, the feeling of the water gliding over his skin helping to relax his tense muscles. He was so lost in the calmness of it all that he didn’t even notice when Craig came back in, the sound of the curtain being pulled back startling him out of his trance.

“O-oh! Sorry, I didn’t...” He trailed off as his train of thought was completely lost, the sight of the other climbing into the shower behind him taking all of his focus. 

His eyes crawled along the older boy’s body, cheeks heating up as memories from the previous night swarmed up in his mind once again. He swallowed hard as he forced his gaze away, turning back the way he was facing so that his back was to the other. 

This was so different now, how intimate everything felt between them. Tweek remembered back to the first time he and Craig had kissed, and how that leap in their relationship made him feel different then, too. 

It wasn’t a bad feeling by any means; if anything, it actually made him feel really good. It was just strange to get used to at first, because it suddenly felt as if the air around them was much... _deeper_. Like their thoughts and emotions were somehow more connected than before.

“Something wrong?” Craig asked curiously, noticing how quickly the other turned away from him. 

“No, nothing like that...sorry, I just...”

Craig couldn’t help but smile as Tweek trailed off once more, words hesitant and filled with a shyness he found quite cute.

He wrapped his arms around the younger’s waist and pulled him close, chest pressed flush to his back as he embraced the blonde tightly.

“You don’t have to be nervous Tweek,” Craig spoke softly as he rest his head on the other’s shoulder, “I want you to feel comfortable, remember?”

Tweek relaxed at the words, the heat of Craig’s body melding with that of the water and making him sigh contentedly. He nodded wordlessly, turning to look at the older boy over his shoulder and smiling sweetly as their eyes met.

Craig pulled away after a moment, arms leaving the younger’s waist as he reached around to grab the shampoo. Tweek had showered at his place many times before, but this was the first time they’d ever actually done it together, and he had to admit that it definitely felt different.

It was a comfortable feeling, one that made them seem much closer in a way; maybe it was because they were completely exposed to one another, with nothing to hide their insecurities behind.

He’d felt something similar the night before, this powerful sense of calm. However, the air around them now felt intimate in a much more emotional sense than a sexual one.

Craig popped off the cap of the bottle, pouring a decent amount into his hand before reaching up and beginning to lather it into the other’s wet locks, fingers curling into his hair.

Tweek jumped at the sudden, unexpected feeling, although he relaxed almost instantly, a small sigh slipping from his lips. He fell into a sort of comfortable trance once again as the other’s fingers combed through his hair, not even noticing as Craig freed one of his hands and reached around him to grab the soap.

It wasn’t until he felt something soft press to his lower stomach that he was finally pulled back to earth, eyes opening in surprise as he glanced down curiously. His gaze met with the bright green lufa he kept there for when he stayed over; he couldn’t help but shiver as the older boy began sliding it along his body, covering his skin in silky white suds.

Craig touched him so delicately, as if he were a precious treasure that might break with even the slightest pressure. The gentle sweetness of it made him feel cherished, eyes falling closed at he let out a soft, appreciative hum. 

He could feel Craig place a small kiss behind his ear as the other finished washing him, and he turned on his heel to face the noirette as he moved back to stand fully under the stream of water. He smiled at the boy before him as he rinsed off, reaching forward and snatching the bottle from his hands before he was able to open it again.

Craig quirked an eyebrow, a curious grin coming to his face when he saw the younger pour some soap into his own hand before setting the bottle back down.

“I can’t be the only one getting special treatment,” Tweek grinned back as he stepped forward once more, lathering the soap up before placing his hands to the other’s chest and beginning to slide them across his skin.

Craig reveled in the feeling of Tweek’s soft, tentative touch, a deep sigh leaving him as he allowed the younger to wash him in return. It wasn’t until the other’s wandering fingers brushed along his sides that he jolted slightly in his spot, muscles tensing up as he tried to stifle a small laugh.

Tweek couldn’t help but grin at the reaction, eyebrow raised as he gazed at the other with feigned innocence.

“Are you ticklish here?” He asked as if he didn’t already know the answer, running his fingers along the same spots as before and chuckling when the other immediately tried to shrink back from him.

“Nope, definitely not,” Craig tried his best to keep a straight face, but ended up breaking into laughter regardless when the blonde began tickling his sides, his feather-light touch only managing to add to the sensation.

“You’re such a _liar_ ,” Tweek continued his assault, the other’s laugh proving contagious as he watched the older boy squirm under his touch, “I knew you had to be ticklish somewhere! You always tried to tell me you weren’t, but I knew it!”

Craig finally managed to catch his hands after a few more seconds, holding them in place and taking a moment to catch his breath before flashing the younger a playful smirk.

“At least I’m not super sensitive,” His tone lowered as he pulled Tweek close, gaze seductive as he freed one of his hands to reach around and slide his fingers lightly up the middle of the other’s back. His smirk widened as Tweek arched forward, lips parted and eyes falling closed as he shivered under the older boy’s touch.

The blonde regained his composure almost instantly, cheeks flushing as he looked up at Craig with a half-hearted pout, “H-hey, I can’t help it...!”

“Don’t worry babe, I’m just teasing you,” Craig chuckled softly as he smiled at the younger, leaning forward to press a small kiss to his heated cheek, “Besides, I like that about you.”

“Whatever you say, _babe_ ,” Tweek tried to keep up the pouty act, but ultimately proved unsuccessful as he ended up smiling back, dipping forward quickly to catch the other’s lips in a soft kiss before he could pull back completely.

Tweek wanted the moment to last a little bit longer, but the sudden loud growl of his stomach caught both of their attention, each of them glancing down once they parted.

“Sorry, guess I’m a little hungrier than I thought,” He smiled timidly, glancing off to the side as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed as his stomach rumbled once again.

“Don’t apologize Tweek,” Craig chuckled once again as he shook his head, bringing one of his hands up to run his thumb lightly over the other’s blush stained cheek, “Let’s get finished up and I’ll go make us some breakfast, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Tweek smiled brightly as he nodded in return, moving to the side to allow the other to switch places with him and step under the water as well.


	34. Safe Haven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope that you're all having a good night, or day if you happen to be in a different timezone than I am :)  
> It's been a pretty rough week on my end, so I haven't been able to work on the fic quite as much as I'd hoped. But, the week is finally through, and I'm feeling a bit better now, so I'm ready to start the next one fresh!
> 
> Not much to say about this chapter really, I wanted to include another one on the fluffier side of things before we get back to the actual story progression. I know this one's a bit shorter than you guys have been used to recently, but I'm expecting the next few to be longer, so I hope that makes up for it! I've got about 5 or 6 more big, main scenes planned out for this story, and I'm not sure how many chapters it'll end up coming out to, but I'd say there's probably about 10ish more chapters to look forward to! Give or take of course, I'm not very good at figuring that kind of thing out lol.
> 
> But either way, I just wanted to let you guys know that I really do appreciate your continued support, and it means a lot that you guys have stuck through this fic with me for so long already! As we all know, all good things must come to an end, but I hope that we'll be able to finish this journey off in the best way possible <3 and who knows, I might have a bit of a surprise for you all too ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ but that's a story for another time!
> 
> Without further ado, I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter of "The Book of Love!"
> 
> SLATS~

The two finished up in the shower before getting dressed and heading downstairs. Just as Craig had suspected, the rest of the house was dark and quiet, leaving only the two of them to enjoy the rainy day inside.

Tweek sat on the couch, flipping idly through the channels of the TV as Craig worked away in the kitchen; he tried to offer his help at first, but the older boy simply smiled and shook his head, leading the blonde to sit down and draping a throw blanket over his shoulders before disappearing into the adjacent room.

Tweek kept sneaking glances inside from his seat, a delicious smell beginning to waft from the doorway that made his stomach growl loudly. It wasn’t long before the other returned carrying plates piled with food, and the younger watched with wide, hungry eyes as they were set down on the coffee table in front of him.

He eyed the scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and toast, mouth practically watering as he slid forward to sit on the edge of the couch, only managing to tear his gaze away when Craig moved to sit next to him.

“Thanks again for making breakfast,” Tweek smiled gratefully as the other handed him a mug of coffee, “Everything looks really good!”

“Anything for you babe,” Craig smiled in return as he took up his own seat, the two of them beginning to eat as the younger finally settled on a channel that played reruns of old cartoons. They ate quiety as they watched the screen, the dim light and sound of pouring rain making the room feel especially cozy.

It was like a safe haven, a comfortable place to keep them sheltered from the raging storm beyond the door.

Tweek’s eyes felt a bit heavy as he sipped his coffee, pulling the throw blanket tighter around himself and reveling in the warmth it provided.

“Is it good?” Craig broke the silence after a moment, glancing over with curious eyes, “I tried to make it the way you like.”

“It’s perfect,” Tweek smiled sweetly as he finished up with his food, setting his cup down before leaning back in his seat, “You’re a really good cook, Craig.”

“Thanks,” Although his response was nonchalant, the proud look in the other’s eyes was unmistakable, “I make dinner for Tricia sometimes when my parents are out, so I guess I’ve gotten kind of used to it.”

Craig finished up with his plate as well, glancing over at the younger and taking note of his tired, lidded gaze; it seemed as though he was having trouble keeping his eyes open, and Craig realized that he was probably more exhausted than he was letting on.

“Do you want me to help clean up?” Tweek asked after a moment, although he pretty much already knew what the answer would be. Just as expected, Craig shook his head as he shifted in his spot, pulling his legs up onto the couch and turning so that he was leaning back against the arm rest.

“I’ll take care of it later,” He reached his arms out before leaning forward a bit, motioning for the other to move back, “Come here.”

Tweek scooched back into Craig’s arms, pulling his legs up as well and turning to lay on his side, head pressed to the other’s chest.

Craig held him close, arms wrapped loosely around the younger in a warm embrace. Tweek breathed deeply as he nuzzled into the older boy’s chest, a feeling of calm washing over him as he gazed absently at the TV screen.

He moved the throw blanket so that it was covering both of them fully, eyes growing heavier from the sheer comfort of it all; he tried his best to fight the sleep that tugged at his eyelids, but it was growing harder and harder to keep them open as the seconds ticked by.

“It’s okay honey,” Craig spoke softly, reaching up to run his fingers gently through the other’s hair, “Get some rest, okay?”

Tweek hummed quietly as he gave a small nod, finally allowing his eyes to fall closed as he gave in to the comforting feeling. Not even a minute passed by before he found himself drifting off into a deep, restful sleep.

Craig gazed down at the peaceful blonde in his arms, a soft smile playing on his lips as he listened to the younger’s calm, even breathing. He held the boy close, chin resting atop his messy locks as he gazed out one of the nearby windows.

It was exceptionally dark out, the pouring rain obscuring the outside world in a haze. Craig found himself thinking back, mind wandering to the days before Tweek had come into his life once again. ON stormy days such as this, he would spend his time indoors, playing with Stripe and watching episodes of Red Racer for about the dozenth or so time.

He didn’t have interest in much else back then, and at the time he was fine with that; or that’s what he told himself, at least. It wasn’t until now that he realized just how lonely it was, trying to convince himself that he was perfectly content with spending the rest of his days on his own.

Never in his life would he have imagined that he would find someone to spend those days with; someone he couldn’t imagine spending them without.

“I love you so much,” He whispered softly as he tightened his hold on the younger, placing a small kiss to the top of his head before allowing his eyes to fall closed as well.

With these thoughts in mind, Craig found himself drifting off shortly after, the two of them safe and protected from the elements as they stayed wrapped in one another’s arms.


	35. A Welcome Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo friends! I hope that you're all having a good weekend so far! It's been another long week, so I'm glad that it's finally over and I have some time to relax. With the end of the semester fast approaching, things are getting a bit more hectic academics wise as we race towards the finish line. If any of you are going through the same thing right now, I wish you the best of luck on all of your assignments and exams, I know you can do it!!
> 
> I hit a burst of inspiration, so I was able to finish up this chapter a bit earlier than anticipated which is nice! We're finally starting to get some more forward progression again after our fluffy little break, so the story's going to be moving along pretty nicely from this point onwards. I hope that you all enjoy what I have in store!
> 
> And as always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope that you all have a great weekend! <3
> 
> SLATS~

Tweek spent most of the day drifting in and out of sleep, only waking up fully when Craig started to rise form the couch. The older boy tried to move him as gently as possible, so as to not rouse him from his rest, but his attempts proved unsuccessful as the blonde stretch his limbs out before sitting up and rubbing at his eyes.

“Sorry for waking you,” Craig smiled apologetically as he stood up, gathering up the plates and cups left over from their morning breakfast, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, I did,” Tweek smiled up at the other as well, eyes lidded and still a bit groggy from having been pulled from his slumber, “How long was I out for?”

“A few hours I think. Don’t worry, I fell asleep too for a while,” The other turned to make his way into the kitchen, pausing for a moment to look over his shoulder as he reached the entryway, “Do you want anything while I’m in here?”

The younger hummed thoughtfully for a moment before turning and flashing Craig a tired, lopsided smile, “Could you get me another cup of coffee please? If it’s not too much trouble.”

Craig couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he gave a small nod, disappearing into the kitchen a moment later, “Of course babe, I’ll bring it out in a minute.”

Once he was alone in the room, Tweek reached for his phone to check the time, only to realize that it wasn’t where he expected it to be; must have left it upstairs, he assumed. Instead he grabbed the TV remote, pressing the button for the guide and squinting to see the small numbers in the upper right hand corner. 3:47pm.

“Jesus, almost half the day’s gone already,” He mumbled absently to himself, not having realized that he’d been asleep for so long. He glanced over to take a look out the window, and although it wasn’t as dark and gloomy as it was earlier, the sky was still shrouded in a blanket of light greys.

The storm seemed to have calmed too, slowing down to only a light drizzle and leaving the ground covered in a thin mist.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” He called out after a moment, turning his attention back to the kitchen and listening to the slight rustling coming from just beyond his sight.

“I’m sure,” Craig called back instantly, the grin clear in his voice regardless of whether or not the blonde could actually see him, “Just stay there, I won’t be long.”

“Let me know if you change your mind!” With that Tweek turned his attention back to the TV, although he wasn’t particularly interested in what was playing at the moment.

He spent the next few minutes quietly skimming through the guide, trying to find something a bit more entertaining to put on. Eventually he decided on a sci-fi movie that he’d never heard of before, but that at least sounded decent from the short description. “Midnight Special,” or something like that.

Tweek couldn’t help but jump a bit in his seat at the sudden knock that came at the front door, wide blue eyes snapping over in surprise. He couldn’t see anyone through the window from where he was sitting, and he couldn’t keep the small surge of panic from rising in his chest, his mind running through all of the possibilities of who it might be, some of them much more frightening and much less logical than others.

After all, paranoia was something that wasn’t so easy to shake, no matter how many years went by; especially considering that he’d almost been kidnapped once when he was younger.

Even so, he tried his best to force it down regardless as he rose from his seat, making his way towards the door after a few frantic seconds of thought.

“I’ll get it!” He called out to Craig, although the soft sound of running water from the kitchen told him that the older boy might not have been able to hear him.

He briefly thought about checking through the peephole to see who it was, but quickly pushed the idea from his mind, realizing that it brought him more stress than relief. He’d seen way too many movies where people got their eyes stabbed or shot or something from looking through those things, so he tried to steer clear of them as much as possible.

Finally he forced himself to just open it and get it over with, knowing full well that the door wasn’t even locked, so if whoever was out there really did want to kill him, they could do it just as easily whether he actually opened the door or not.

Thankfully, the person on the other side had no such intentions.

Tweek let out a small sigh of relief as he recognized the familiar face, the sight of the boy’s blonde hair poking out form the hood of his parka helping to alleviate the younger’s tensed nerves.

“There you are,” The other flashed him a grin as their eyes met, hands shoved into his pockets as he shifted on his feet a bit, “You weren’t at home, so I figured this would be the next best place to find you. I tried to text you earlier but I guess you must not have had your phone on you.”

“Yeah, I think I left my phone upstairs this morning,” Tweek smiled back as he moved to the side, motioning for the other to come in and out of the rain, “Sorry if I worried you or anything.” He shut the door again once his friend was inside, turning and calling out to the noirette still hiding in the kitchen, “Craig, Kenny’s here!”

“Oh hey dude,” Craig poked his head out of the doorway after a moment, waving when he noticed the older blonde before disappearing inside once again, “Do you want anything to drink? I’m just finishing up with the dishes, I’ll be out in a minute.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Kenny waved back as he followed the younger blonde over to the couch, taking up a seat on the closest side and leaning against the arm rest, “You guys weren’t at school today, so I figured I’d stop by and make sure everything was okay.”

“Yeah we’re good, just decided to take the day off,” Without thinking Tweek plopped back down into his own seat, only to immediately regret it as a sharp, familiar pain went shooting up his lower back. He stiffened in his spot, face scrunching up in displeasure; he tried his best to hide the pain, but he couldn’t help the small hiss that slipped through his teeth regardless.

Kenny glanced over out of the corner of his eye, taking note of the other’s awkward, tense posture and the way his brow knit together, although he initially tried to play it off as though he didn’t notice. His eyes scanned over the younger in interest, some minor details catching his gaze that made a small smirk tug at the corners of his lips.

Well, some of them minor; others, not so much.

They sat quietly for a few moments, Tweek’s gaze focused to the TV while Kenny continued sneaking subtle glances at him out of the corner of his eye. Finally he spoke up, trying his best to keep his voice nonchalant and hide the grin playing on his lips.

“So, how was it?”

“Hn?” Tweek looked over curiously at the question, the strange, amused light in the other’s eyes making him hesitate for a second, “How was what?”

“The sex? With Craig?”

Tweek simply stared at the older blonde as if he were a deer caught in headlights, his brain shutting down for a moment as it tried to process the words.

Finally they seemed to register, their meaning smacking him upside the head as his heart skipped in his chest. He could feel his cheeks heat up, face flushing and mouth opening and closing wordlessly as he stared at the other in shock.

“H-How did you—?!”

“I can tell by the way you’re sitting,” Kenny’s poker face finally faltered, a wide smirk spreading across his face at the younger’s reaction. He always looked so cute when he was flustered.

“Also,” The older boy turned to face Tweek a bit more, elbow propped on the armrest and head resting on his hand as he reached up to tap a spot on his neck.

The blonde’s brow furrowed in confusion, not quite understanding what the gesture meant at first; and then it suddenly dawned on him, eyes widening once again as his hand shot up to cover his own neck, a deep blush painting his features.

He hadn’t payed attention to the mirror when he and Craig had showered earlier, so he’d completely forgotten about the mark the other had left on him the night before.

“I’m glad you finally took my advice,” Kenny leaned in a bit, grin widening as he urged the younger on, “So? How was it?”

“It was…good,” Tweek hesitated for a moment as he glanced off to the side, a timid smile coming to his lips as he spoke quietly, “Really, _really_ good…”

“So he treated you right?” The older blonde watched him intently, satisfied that he was actually able to get the other to open up.

“Y-yeah, he—”

“How many times did he make you cum?”

“I am _not_ answering that!” Tweek’s cheeks went beat red, eyes widening as he stared at his friend with a look of flustered anger.

“Hey, no need to get embarrassed!” Kenny chuckled as he put up his hands defensively, “I just want to make sure he took good care of you, that’s all.”

“He _did_ ,” Tweek couldn’t help but feel awkward at the other’s blunt questioning, letting out a small huff as he flashed a half-hearted glare. Kenny never really batted an eye when it came to sexual things; he’d always been very open, and wasn’t embarrassed or afraid to talk about it in the slightest.

Tweek was pretty used to his direct way of speaking, but having it turned on him made him feel a bit strange for some reason.

“Did you guys try rimming?” A few seconds of silence passed before the other spoke up again, continuing to gaze at the younger in interest.

“…Rimming?” The confusion was clear in Tweek’s voice as he repeated the word, head tilted to the side a bit, “What’s that?”

“It’s when—”

“Would you stop trying to seduce my boyfriend please?” Craig suddenly appeared beside the couch, eyeing the older blonde intensely as he handed Tweek a fresh mug of coffee.

“Oh, thank you!” The younger took it gratefully, gaze shifting back and forth between the two boys as they looked at one another. A strange sort of tension filled the air, one that made his lips pull into a thin line as he glanced back and forth between the two of them.

“He’s the one that asked,” Kenny smiled smugly as he leaned back in his spot, head tilted back to look at the other fully and reveling in the way his green eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. There wasn't actually any malice behind the glare, it was more of an “I’m so done with you right now,” look than anything, but it made him feel satisfied nonetheless. After all, he could never pass up an opportunity to rile up the otherwise stoic noirette.

“You’re the one that brought it up.”

“Hey, I’m just saying I think he’d like it. You should try it sometime,” The older blonde’s smirk widened as the other gave a roll of his eyes before turning on his heel, waving his hand flippantly and heading back into the kitchen.

“I’m almost finished up in here, I’ll be back in a few minutes. Sure you don’t want anything?”

“Yeah I’m sure,” Kenny couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he watched Craig disappear through the entryway, amused by his half-nonchalant, half-annoyed reactions, “Thanks though.”

Once they were alone again, the older boy turned his attention back to his friend, amused to see that he still looked a bit flustered, a light dusting of pink covering his cheeks.

“You know,” Kenny leaned closer after a moment or so of silence, voice dropping as he gave the other a playful smile, “If you ever wanna experiment, find out what kind of things you like, my offer is always open.”

Tweek opened his mouth to offer a retort, but Craig suddenly reappeared before he was able, sitting down directly between the two of them, “Wouldn’t count on it.”

“Oh don’t worry Craig, I wouldn’t leave you out of the fun,” The older blonde leaned back in his spot as he winked at the other, “I can always show you a thing or two, too.”

Craig raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at his friend, the unexpected statement giving him pause for a moment.

“I’ll give you points for persistence, at least,” He couldn’t keep the small grin from coming to his lips as he gave another roll of his eyes, reaching down after a moment and grabbing a controller from the space beneath the coffee table.

“Wanna play something?” He waved it in his hand as he looked back and forth between the two boys, watching as their eyes lit up at the suggestion.

“Sure, it’s been a while since we’ve all played anything together,” Kenny smiled as he reached down to grab a controller as well, “I’m sure I can still kick your asses though.”

“Cockiness was always your downfall,” Tweek smirked as he looked over at the older blonde, still cradling the mug Craig had brought him between his hands, “You guys go ahead and start, I’ll join in when I finish my coffee.”

He pulled his legs up onto the couch as he continued to sip at the warm drink, curling up a bit as Craig started up one of his gaming systems. He watched the two of them get ready to go against one another, chuckling softly to himself when he realized that his boyfriend had chosen Super Smash Bros as their first game.

He remembered back to the first time they’d all played it together all those years ago, and to the “heated discussion” Craig and Kenny had gotten in when the latter kept spamming attacks just to piss him off.

Ever since that day, the noirette had made it his mission to rematch every chance he got, going as far as to learn all of the best combos to the point that he’d actually gotten really good at the game.

Turns out Kenny was actually really good at it too, he just liked to spam because he knew how much it frustrated the other; their battles were always neck-and-neck, and there was about a 50/50 chance that either one of them would win at any given time.

Tweek had never been particularly good at Smash Bros, but he enjoyed watching and playing it nonetheless, especially because it was funny to see just how intense the other two got when they went against one another. His forte was more so in Mario Kart, and his title of “undefeated champ” was well known among their friend group, considering that he came in first place about 90% of the time.

He couldn’t help but smile as the two of them started, watching as they each scooted to the very edge of their seats and leaned forward, intense expressions on both of their faces. It felt really nice to have them all together, and seeing his boyfriend and his best friend getting along and having fun always made Tweek happy.

After all, they were the two most important people in his life, although for different reasons, and he honestly couldn’t imagine what things would be like without them; he didn’t really want to, either. He knew that no matter what was going on in his life, they would both be there to support him in whatever ways they could.

Never would Tweek have thought he would one day have people in his life that cared about him so deeply; back when he was younger, he’d convinced himself that nobody ever would, and that was just something he was going to have to live with.

He’d dealt with loneliness and feelings of worthlessness for such a long time that those things were all he really knew, and he’d reached a point very early on in his life where he never thought he would really be able to trust anyone fully.

But if there was one thing they’d each taught him over the years, it was that putting your faith in someone didn’t always have to end up in disaster and heartbreak; that he did have worth, no matter how much he may have felt like he didn’t at times. With them around, it made him feel as though all of the suffering and emptiness he’d dealt with in his life was finally over.

And in that moment, Tweek found himself wishing that this feeling could last forever.


	36. Family Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I know, another chapter so soon?? Crazy, right? Actually, two chapters for the price of one (」゜ロ゜)」 even crazier!! I ended up getting these scenes done muuuuuch fast than I thought I would, because I just really got in the zone last night and tonight when writing them. I wasn't expecting to have them out until the end of the week, but I figured hey, I finished them early, I might as well post them early! 
> 
> The reason that I'm posting two at once is because these scenes technically happen at the same time, just in different places, so I figured it would make sense to be able to read them in one sitting if you so desire. They are kind of long though, so I don't blame you if you'd rather break them up and read them separately regardless lol
> 
> I'll have a little bit more to say about these at the end of the second chapter, so look out for that note! And without further ado, I hope that you all enjoy the new chapters!
> 
> SLATS~

The next few weeks were pretty uneventful, overall. Things were growing a bit tenser at home for Tweek, and he was feeling much more rundown than usual, so he’d been spending more time at Craig’s place than he had at his own.

Craig was currently at Kenny’s place though, working on a project the two had to do together, so Tweek decided to stop by Kyle’s for a bit, since he didn’t actually have to go in to work that day.

At first Craig had tried to invite him along to go over to Kenny’s, knowing how rough of a time the younger had been having recently, and not really wanting to leave him alone.

Tweek was thankful for the consideration, but ultimately decided against it; he felt a bit guilty that the other was using up so much of his time looking after him, and he didn’t really want to get in the way or distract them from their work.

Besides, he and Kyle hadn’t hung out in a while, so he figured that this would be a good opportunity to catch up.

He was currently sitting on the floor, back pressed to the wall as he played idly on his phone, his friend doing the same from the bed. He’d been over for about a couple hours by that point; they’d had lunch, played some games, and talked about various things that were going on in their lives.

It was always nice to hang out with the redhead; they’d been somewhat close when Tweek had joined their friend group for a bit all those years ago, but after that they just sort of drifted apart. That was, until the blonde offered his advice on the matter involving Cartman, and ever since then the two had grown pretty close over the years.

“So,” Kyle spoke up after a few more moments of quiet, setting his phone down on the bed as he turned his attention back to the other with a small grin, “How are things with you and Craig? Kenny may or may not have told us about you two…well, you know.”

Tweek simply looked blankly at the other for a moment, not quite understanding what he meant at first. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes as it dawned on him, a quiet groan leaving his throat as he pushed his head back against the wall in exasperation.

“Are you kidding me? He _told_ you guys about it?” Tweek could feel the light blush creep onto his cheeks as he made a face, eyes narrowing slightly as he stared up at the ceiling. Looks like he and Kenny were going to have to have a little bit of a talk later.

“Yeah, he was actually weirdly excited to tell us about it,” Kyle chuckled slightly as he shook his head, propping himself up on his elbows and resting his head in his hand, “You should’ve seen him dude, he was like a proud parent or something. ‘ _My little Tweek’s growing up!_ ’”

The blonde couldn’t help but laugh as well as he slapped his hand over his face, the other’s impression of their friend sounding dead on, “I am so gonna kill him.”

“I don’t want to pry or anything, I’m honestly just curious. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine,” Tweek set his own phone down as well as he looked back at the redhead, knees pulled up a bit and arms draped over them casually, “It was…scary, at first. I was really nervous, and I was afraid that it wasn’t going to go well or that I would somehow mess everything up. But Craig was really sweet and considerate about it, so it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I was making it out to be. It ended up being really good…perfect, even. There isn’t really anything that I think I’d change about it.

“How about you? How was your first?”

“Mine?” Kyle seemed taken aback by the question, eyes widening a small bit as he simply blinked at the other for a moment, giving a small smile and clearly trying to play it off, “Who said we’ve gotten that far yet?”

Tweek simply raised an eyebrow as he looked at his friend skeptically, a knowing grin coming to his lips as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Okay, okay, you’re right,” Kyle laughed at the look the blonde was giving him, putting his hands up in mock defense. He hummed thoughtfully as he glanced off to the side, trying his best to find the right words to explain it to the other.

“It was…powerful. But like, not in a bad way or anything, I’m just not sure how else to describe it. Maybe emotional fits better?” He paused for a moment, nodding more to himself than anything at the suggestion before continuing, “We were fighting, kind of. Or well, fighting probably isn’t the best word…I was crying and yelling over something, and now that I think back on it I realize that I probably sounded pretty stupid. At first I just flat out refused, I guess I was still pretty deep in denial about everything…but then we kissed, and it was all over from that point. It was actually pretty romantic, believe it or not. God, that sounds so cliché…”

Tweek couldn’t help but smile at the light pink dusting over his friend’s cheeks by the time he finished, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he gazed off at nothing in particular, probably replaying the memory in his mind the same way Tweek did whenever he remembered back to his night with Craig.

“Sounds about like what I’d expect from you two,” The blonde chuckled softly as he watched the other, Kyle’s attention turning back to him as he spoke, “Do the others know?”

“Something tells me Kenny does, even though he hasn’t actually said anything about it. Stan sure as hell doesn’t though,” Kyle’s gaze fell a bit as he let out a small sigh, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck, “I want to tell him, I just…I don’t think he’d understand. And I haven’t found the right way to explain it to him yet.”

“Then just wait until you do find it,” Tweek smiled sympathetically at the redhead, knowing how hard it must be to keep something like this from his best friend, “No need to rush, ya know? You don’t have to tell him until you’re ready to. And even if he doesn’t understand at first, just give him some time. You guys have been friends for years, he’s not going to just drop you over something like this.”

“Yeah, I know…it’s just hard because I don’t know how he’s going to react to it,” Kyle bit at the inside of his cheek for a moment before turning his gaze back on the blonde, giving him a thankful smile, “You’re right though. I just need to find the right time to bring it up to him, and then we’ll go from there.”

“Yeah, you just need to—” Tweek’s words were cut off by a sharp hiss, eyes screwing shut tightly as he brought his hands up to cup his head. He could hear his heart in his ears as his temples throbbed fiercely, something that had been happening pretty frequently over the past week. It always came out of nowhere, so it always caught him completely off guard; he was thankful that he was already sitting down, otherwise he probably would have doubled over from the pain.

He got headaches like this sometimes when he was younger, but never quite this often before. They were even starting to happen multiple times a day now, and no amount of painkillers seemed to be able to make them go away.

“Hey, are you okay?” The other’s words sounded a bit muffled and far off at first, and it took Tweek a moment to realize that his friend was now kneeling in front of him, offering him the bottle of water he’d left on the bedside table.

“Y-yeah, just…just another headache,” He took the bottle gratefully, twisting off the cap and forcing himself to down some of its contents, even though he didn’t particularly feel like it, “I-I’ll be okay, I just…have to let it pass.”

Kyle sat with him quietly for a moment, a concerned look on his face as he studied his friend’s expression. The pain finally began to die down, leaving only a dull ache behind, and a shaky sigh of relief slipped past the blonde’s lips subconsciously.

“Tweek,” Kyle hadn’t noticed it before, but being up close he could see that the other’s skin seemed a bit paler than usual, and the bags under his eyes had gotten much darker than he remembered them being, “You don’t look too good. Are you getting sick or something?”

“I don’t know, I just…” Tweek could feel his hands beginning to shake, something else that had been happening a lot more than usual, so he pressed them flat against the floor to try and hide it, “I haven’t been feeling too great recently, a-and I’m so tired, but…I haven’t really been able to sleep at all.”

“When’s the last time you actually slept?”

“I don’t know, I think it was…about four days ago,” The blonde looked off to the side, suddenly finding it difficult to make eye contact with the other.

He’d always had trouble sleeping, especially when he was younger, so staying up for days at a time wasn’t really an unfamiliar concept to him; but this was the first time in a while that he’d gone several days without sleep, and he wasn’t quite sure what was causing it. Usually he slept relatively well whenever he stayed at Craig’s place, but even that didn’t seem to be enough to help him this time.

“Does Craig know you haven’t been sleeping?” Kyle tried to press the topic further, his worry for the other only increasing as he watched him intently.

“No, I haven’t told him…I just pretend to sleep when I’m over at his place,” Tweek bit lightly at his bottom lip as he looked down at the floor, knowing how bad this all probably must have sounded, “He’s already worried enough about me, I just don’t want to make things worse…he’s got other things to worry about too, but he always drops everything to take care of me when he knows I’m not doing well. So I’ve mostly just been living off of coffee to try and help with the exhaustion, but…I don’t know, the stuff Craig has just doesn’t have the same effect.”

“The same effect?” The redhead repeated the words questioningly, head tilted a bit as he raised an eyebrow, “Same effect as what?”

“The stuff my parents make. I’m not sure what it is, but…their stuff just helps me more, I guess. It always has.”

“Do you know what’s different about it? Like what’s in it?”

Tweek simply paused at the question as he thought over it for a moment, eventually giving a small shake of his head, “I’ve asked, but they always just dance around the question and give me vague responses, like they do with pretty much everything else. Guess they don’t think I’m ready to learn the “family secret” yet.”

“Don’t you think that’s kind of weird?” Kyle couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical at the other’s response, not because he didn’t believe what his friend was saying to be true, but rather because it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him logically, “I mean, your parents own the shop, and I’m assuming that they’d want you to carry on the business for them, so wouldn’t it make sense to have at least _told_ you the recipe by now?”

Tweek simply stared off into space, gaze a bit unfocused as he listened, Kyle’s words weighing on him heavily. He'd never really taken the time to think about it before, but he supposed that when it was put into perspective like that, the whole thing did seem pretty strange.

And not only that, but now that he thought back, there were many other things from when he was younger that seemed strange, too. Strange and…sketchy, to say the least.

Why exactly _did_ his parents go to such great lengths to keep it from him? He’d always just assumed that it was because they didn’t really care enough to tell him, just like with everything else they did, but…now that he thought about it, he couldn’t help but think that maybe there was more to it than that.

Maybe they were trying to hide something from him on purpose.

“Yeah, I guess it is…” Tweek mumbled the words more to himself than to Kyle, gaze focusing back on the concerned redhead before him as he flashed a reassuring smile, “Oh well, I’m not that worried about it right now. I’ll just bring it up to them later.”

He quickly brushed off the conversation, telling the other that he was pretty sure he’d just caught a bug or something, and that if he didn’t start feeling better within the next few days he would stop by the doctor. Kyle still seemed extremely skeptical and worried about the whole situation, but the other’s assurance at least made him drop the topic.

But Tweek knew well enough that simply trying to “bring it up” with his parents wasn’t going to do shit; he’d tried that multiple times over the years, and they always gave him the same vague, bullshit answers. If he _really_ wanted to find answers, then he knew that he was going to have to do it himself.

He remembered back to the backroom of the shop, and to how there were some locked metal cabinets in there that his parents had always told him to stay away from when he was younger. Back then he’d simply gone along with it, figuring that it must not have actually been anything important.

But now, just as with everything else, he realized that maybe there was more to it than they’d actually let on; something that they were intentionally trying to keep from him.

And maybe tomorrow would be the day he would find out just what exactly that “something” was.


	37. A Cry for Help

Craig couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he read the text on his phone, the soft buzzing having torn his attention away from his book for a moment, “Tweek says I’m supposed to tell you he’s gonna kick your ass next time he sees you.”

“Oh boy,” A smirk spread across Kenny’s face at the words, although he kept his eyes glued to the paper in his hands, jotting down some notes here and there, “What did I do this time?”

“Apparently you told people we had sex?” The noirette glanced up at the other from his phone, eyebrow quirked at his boyfriend’s accusation.

“What can I say, I was proud,” Kenny shrugged nonchalantly, smirk not fading as he finally looked up at the other from his notes, “I didn’t actually give any _details_ though.”

“Well he’s not very happy about it, so I’d prepare yourself for his wrath if I were you,” Craig chuckled once more as he shook his head, quickly responding to Tweek’s message before setting his phone back down on the floor, “Was nice knowing you, dude.”

“Let me guess, Kyle’s the one who ratted me out?” The blonde asked curiously as he set his notes to the side and leaned back on his hands, figuring that the redhead would’ve been the most likely of his friends to tell the other.

“Considering that’s where he’s at right now, I’d say yeah, it was probably him.”

“Good job Kyle,” Kenny chuckled to himself before letting out a small sigh, fingers running absently through his hair. They’d been at it for several hours now, working through this stupid project they had to do for their Economics class.

Kenny hated the class and he hated projects; he was at least thankful that he’d been paired with Craig though, because the two worked pretty well together and genuinely enjoyed on another’s company, which was nice.

“I’m gonna go grab something to drink, you want anything?” The blonde rose form his spot as he stretched his arms into the air, body having grown a bit stiff from sitting in the same place for so long.

“Yeah, just grab me whatever,” Craig watched as the other made his way across the bedroom and over to his door before turning his attention back to the book in his lap.

Kenny hummed in acknowledgement before stepping out into the hallway and heading towards the kitchen, opening the fridge and hunching down a bit to see what all they had inside. Eventually he settled on soda, grabbing two cans of Dr. Pepper from the top shelf before turning and making his way back, handing one of them to his friend once he was back in the room.

Craig mumbled a soft “thanks” as Kenny sat back in his spot, the crack and fizz of the can a welcome sound in the otherwise quiet room.

The blonde glanced back over at his notes as he took a sip of the sweet beverage, trying his best to focus on the materials at hand, but…something didn’t feel quite right.

A strange silence fell over the room at that, one that felt way too heavy to have been normal, and one that he’d felt several times already that day. It was the kind of silence you feel when you know the other person is about to say something, so you simply wait for them to speak, but Craig never actually ended up saying anything when it happened, and it just ended up making the air feel unnecessarily tense.

It was as if the other had had something on his mind all day, and half of the time Kenny would notice him simply staring at the text instead of actually reading it. His gaze would grow unfocused, brow knit together slightly as if he were deep in thought; the blonde wanted to ask what exactly it was that seemed to have him so distracted, but he figured that it would be better to simply wait for his friend to come out with it on his own.

But as the minutes ticked by, he wasn’t sure that he was ever actually going to get an answer form the other. That was, until Craig _finally_ decided to speak up.

“Kenny, can I ask you something?” Craig didn’t even bother to look up from the textbook as if he were pretending to actually be reading it, his tone somehow managing to come off as both nonchalant and hesitant at the same time. It was a strange combination, and Kenny had to admit that he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.

“Sure Craig, ask away,” He responded as calmly as possible, trying his best to play off the sudden bought of nerves he was feeling from just how strange the situation was overall. Whatever was on the other’s mind must have really been bothering him for him to be acting this way, so Kenny was more than ready to finally figure out what it was.

But just like that, the room grew silent once again, and any hopes he had of getting an immediate answer came crashing down.

The wait was only making things worse, Kenny’s tension rising to the point that he grit his teeth subconsciously; it was like getting the “we need to talk” text form your significant other, and then having to wait all day to actually be able to talk about whatever it was.

His patience was wearing thin.

It wasn’t as though Craig was actually making him angry or anything, it was just that the lack of a response was making him uncomfortable, because if anything it just confirmed his suspicions that whatever was going through the other’s mind must have really been important. And the fact that Craig was having such a hard time bringing it up meant that whatever it was, it probably wasn’t too good.

Kenny wasn’t able to wait anymore, and he’d just opening his mouth to urge his friend forward when Craig finally spoke up again, his next words catching the blonde completely by surprise.

“You’re in love with Tweek, aren’t you?”

Wait…what?

Kenny could feel a rush of panic surge within his chest, something he wasn’t particularly used to; his eyes widened as he stared at the other, swallowing hard and realizing his throat was suddenly much drier than it had been a few moments ago, as if there was a giant lump stuck in the middle of it.

Craig…couldn’t be serious, right?

The blonde quickly tried to play it off with an awkward laugh, and now it was his turn to pretend to be reading his notes, trying his best to avoid the other’s gaze, “You know, I was expecting something more along the lines of, “what’s the answer to number six,” ooor, “what are your thoughts on climate change?””

“I’m being serious, Ken.”

Kenny couldn’t help but glance back up at the words, their gazes meeting and his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he studied the other’s expression. There didn’t seem to be any malice or ill intent behind Craig’s words, but if that were the case, then it just ended up making things even more confusing. What exactly was his aim, here?

“Why are you asking me this, Craig?” His shoulders fell a bit as he let out a small sigh, blue eyes holding an almost pleading light as he looked at the other, “I’m pretty sure you already know the answer, anyways.”

“I want to hear it from you.”

Kenny paused for a moment as he studied the other, the genuineness of his words only managing to confuse him further. It really didn’t seem as though Craig were trying to start anything with him, but why else would he spring this on him out of nowhere like this? If he really was just curious, there were plenty of times that he could have asked, some much more fitting than right then.

No, there had to be something more to it. But something told him that he wasn’t going to find out unless he actually played along.

“Tweek…means a lot to me,” Kenny hesitated before finally giving an answer, glancing off the side as he shifted awkwardly in his spot, “He’s one of the most important people in my life. I’d do anything for him.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Is that not answer enough?” The blonde’s gaze snapped back over to the other, voice coming out a bit more defensive than he’d intended it to. How exactly did Craig _expect_ him to react in this situation? He’d sort of always had a feeling that this talk would be inevitable, but he’d hoped he would at least have some time to mentally prepare for it beforehand, not just be thrust into it and be expected to give a straight answer right away.

“Look, Kenny, I’m not…” Craig visibly deflated with a deep sigh, hand coming up to rest on his forehead as he squeezed his eyes shut; he looked…defeated, to say the least. “I’m not trying to fight with you, I’m just…I’m really worried…”

“Craig,” The other’s voice softened a bit as he moved to sit a bit closer, the sight of his friend’s disheartened state making all of the hostility fade form his features, despite the slight hurt he felt form the statement, “Even if I was, I would never try to take Tweek from you. I thought that you would know me better than that by now…”

“No, Kenny, I’m not worried about you,” The noirette let out another deep sigh as he allowed his hand to drop back to the floor, voice wavering a bit as he tried to force the words out as best he could, “I…I’m worried about Tweek. I think something’s really, _really_ wrong with him, but he just won’t talk to me about it, and…I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Kenny could feel his stomach sink at the words, chest tightening at the absolute desperation in the other’s voice; his gaze fell to the ground as he clasped his hands in his lap, eyes falling closed as a moment of silence passed between them.

“So…you’ve noticed it too, huh?”

“How could I not have?” Craig looked back at the other intently, eyes lost and a bit frantic as he continued, “He thinks that he’s good at hiding it, but he’s not. And I’ve been doing everything I can to try and make things easier for him, but…I don’t know, it’s like he just keeps getting worse! He hasn’t been eating as much, and I don’t think he’s been sleeping…he seems so exhausted all the time now, it’s like he’s depressed but he keeps trying to hide it from me, because every time I try to talk to him about it he just tells me that he’s fine, but I _know_ that he’s lying!  And now he’s been having these headaches, and it’s like nothing I do is working, and I just…I feel so helpless, Kenny, I…I-I don’t know what to do…”

Kenny listened closely to Craig’s every word, and the fact that each and every one of them resonated with him was suddenly a very scary thing. He’d also been noticing these things about Tweek recently, as if he was suddenly much less brighter than he usually was; but just as Craig had said, whenever he tried to question the younger about it, he would brush him off in the same exact way.

“I’m sorry for bringing this up all of a sudden, you’re just…you’re the only other person that I trust enough to…” The other suddenly started speaking again, although he trailed off with a shaky breath, eyes glaring down at the floor a bit as he clenched his hands in frustration. Even without him continuing, Kenny still knew what he was trying to say.

“You don’t have to say it,” The blonde’s gaze softened as he looked at his friend, realizing just how much the situation must have been getting to him. He had to admit that it had been starting to take a toll on him as well, but considering that Craig saw the younger much more than he did, it would make sense that it would be weighing on him the heaviest.

“Look, I…I need to go out of town tomorrow. My sister has a soccer tournament and I promised her I’d be there, but…” Craig trailed off again for a moment, the frustration and concern clear on his features as he glanced back up at the blonde before him, “I’m really scared for him, Kenny. I know this is probably selfish for me to ask, but…if you could just look after him while I’m gone, I would really—”

“Hey, you don’t have to ask me that.” Kenny’s tone was serious as he placed his hand on the other’s forearm, eyes filling with a sympathetic light, “I’ll keep an eye on him, don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” The other let out a sigh of relief, tension fading form his shoulders a bit at the reassurance, “It means a lot to me Kenny, seriously.”

“Hey, no need to thank me,” The blonde gave him a soft smile, squeezing his arm gently before allowing his hand to fall back into his lap, “We’ll get this whole thing figured out, okay? You’re not alone in this, Craig. And we just need to remind Tweek that whatever it is he’s going through right now, he isn’t either.”

The other seemed to calm down at his words, smiling back gratefully as he leaned back in his spot with a deep sigh, “Yeah, you’re right.”

But when it came down to it, as reassuring as the words were, there was a heaviness that continued to hang over them regardless. They both desperately wanted to believe that everything would be okay, that _Tweek_ would be okay, but neither of them could completely shake the nagging feeling that maybe it wasn’t going to be that simple this time.

But no matter what, they knew that they were in this together. And no matter what, they were both determined to do whatever it took to help Tweek in any ways that they could.

They just hoped that it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is going to be talked about more in depth before the next chapter, but I just wanted to go ahead and touch on it real quick to get it out there. As I'm sure a lot of you are able to tell, the next few chapters are going to include some dark themes. I'm going to start putting specific warnings at the beginning of each, so that way you guys know what kind of content is going to be included in them before actually delving in. Like I said I'll talk about it more in the next one, I just wanted to give a sort of heads up. 
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read <3
> 
> SLATS~


	38. Come to Pass (pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! The next few chapters contain dark content and themes that some readers may find triggering, such as depressive thoughts, mentions of drug abuse, and attempted suicide. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, please please keep this in mind, and do not force yourself to read if you are not comfortable.
> 
> Please read the beginning chapter notes as well, as I will go into more detail there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is going to be a bit lengthy, but I would really appreciate it if you would take the time to read through the whole thing. First off, I wanted to apologize for the delay on this chapter. I knew that it was going to take me longer to write because of the content, but I wasn't expecting it to be as slow going as it was. Things have been kind of rough on my end lately, and considering that it's the end of the semester, I've also been especially busy. But I've finally finished it, and after finals are over in a couple weeks, I'm hoping to have more time to be able to work on it more steadily.
> 
> Secondly, I wanted to elaborate on the new tags and warnings I mentioned in the chapter summary. As I said last time, from this point on (and for the next few chapters or so) I'm going to be including warnings for any potentially triggering content at the very beginning, so that you guys can decide for yourself if you're comfortable enough to read. This scene has been separated into three parts, both for length and convenience purposes. 
> 
> All chapters include mentions of attempted suicide and acts of self-harm, but the second chapter specifically involves a flashback scene regarding the aftermath of the attempt. The actual attempt itself is not described, just the aftermath. I also want to note that the scene is not particularly graphic, but you should still use caution when reading if this is a sensitive/uncomfortable topic for you.
> 
> I will also give a non-descriptive summary at the end of each chapter if you decide to forgo them entirely, but would still like to know the gist of what happened for story purposes. So be sure to keep an eye out for those if you'd like! The last thing I want is to unintentionally alienate any of my readers, or make anyone feel as though they need to read content they're not comfortable with just to be able to keep up with the story.
> 
> And lastly, I want to thank you all again for keeping up with this story, and for waiting so patiently when I take longer than usual to get chapters out. I know that this is something that I do as a hobby so it isn't necessary for me to have a strict schedule, but I still try to keep things flowing as best as possible so that you all don't have to wait for too long.
> 
> Without further ado, here is the new chapter of "The Book of Love!" I hope that you enjoy it, and I hope that you all have a wonderful day/night. <3
> 
> SLATS~

Throughout the whole day, Craig felt nervous. He tried to stay present, but just couldn’t shake this heavy feeling, as if something wasn’t quite right. It was more of a general anxiety than anything, his mind constantly wandering back to Tweek, wondering how he was doing and if he was okay.

He felt far off and distant no matter how hard he tried to focus, but he played it off as best he could, not wanting to disappoint Tricia or make it seem as though he didn’t care. Thankfully she didn’t seem to notice, and was happy simply with her brother’s presence there.

Her team had won the tournament in the end, which Craig was more than proud of; she and their parents had gone along with the other families for a dinner celebration, but the noirette respectfully declined the invitation, using his class project as an excuse to head back early.

It was taking longer to get back than expected though, and his anxieties only grew worse as the seconds ticked by. He was still about ten minutes out from town, the sky already beginning to grow dark; Tweek should’ve gotten off work by then, and he was supposed to call once he finished closing up the shop for the night, but Craig had yet to hear from him.

He was supposed to be picking the younger up from the shop, but in case he was running late, he’d asked Kenny to do it instead. But the thing was, he hadn’t heard from Kenny, either.

The other had promised to watch over Tweek throughout the day, but considering that the younger was set to close on his own that night, Craig knew that there would be a gap of time in which his boyfriend would be left alone. For some reason he didn’t understand, that thought alone made his stomach churn.

Not to mention he’d been texting the other back and forth all day, but hadn’t heard back from him in about half an hour or so.

“I’m just being paranoid,” Craig let out a deep breath as he gripped the wheel tightly, gaze focused on the empty road ahead.

Maybe Tweek was just taking longer to close up than usual? Maybe his phone had died? Maybe he was already with Kenny, and had just forgotten to text back?

But no matter how many times Craig tried to convince himself that everything was fine, he just couldn’t shake this feeling that maybe that wasn’t the case; that something wasn’t…right.

“Maybe I should try calling again,” He thought to himself, reaching over to grab his phone from the passenger seat without taking his eyes off of the road.

The sound of his ringtone caught Craig off guard, the sudden vibrations in his hand nearly making him drop the phone in a panic. A quick glance showed him a photo of Tweek that he’d taken not too long ago, one that he’d set as the other’s contact.

The younger had fallen asleep on his bed one afternoon when they were studying together, and he’d just looked so adorable at the time, pencil still in hand and arms wrapped tightly around the pillow he’d been laying on. He looked so sweet and peaceful at the time, and Craig just couldn’t help but capture the moment.

“Oh thank god,” Craig let out a sigh of relief, sliding his thumb to answer the call before quickly putting the phone up to his ear, “Hey babe, sorry I’m running late, traffic was worse than I thought it was going to be. I promise I’m almost—”

“Craig…”

Wait a second…this wasn’t Tweek.

 

“Kenny?” The noirette’s stomach sank at the realization that his boyfriend wasn’t the one on the other end, panic seeping into his voice as he clutched the phone tightly, “What’s going on, where’s Tweek?”

“Craig, I…” A long silence came as the other trailed off, and Craig could’ve sworn he hear Kenny sniffle, the sound making him grip the wheel until his knuckles turned white. A moment or so passed before the other spoke up again, his voice coming across weak and strained, and his words making Craig’s heart feel as though it had completely stopped.

“I uhm…I-I need you to come to the hospital…”

Craig had to fight the urge to slam on the breaks in a panic, hands beginning to shake as he swallowed hard, “Kenny…what happened?”

“It’s Tweek.” The other’s voice wavered as he forced out the words, confirming the very thing Craig prayed he wasn’t going to hear, “Please, just…just get here as soon as possible, o-okay?”

 

Ignoring the dangers of the dark roads, Craig sped all the way to the emergency room; thankfully there weren’t many people out at the moment, so he was able to make it there relatively quickly

He couldn’t think of anything as he made his way there, mind both racing and impossibly blank all at once. The adrenaline was numbing as he finally reached his destination, heart pounding hard against his chest as he rushed through the main doors and up to the reception desk.

Right as he was about to say something, he heard someone approach him from behind, a soft and somewhat familiar voice calling out to him.

“Craig? Craig Tucker?”

The noirette turned to look over his shoulder, eyes landing on a women clad in blue scrubs and a long white lab coat, clearly a doctor. She looked about mid-forties, with long, curly brown hair, and something about her came across as very familiar.

It took a moment, but Craig quickly realized that she was a friend of his parents, someone he’d met several times over the years.

“Natalie?” He felt a small amount of relief at the sight of a familiar face, but it was very fleeting as he stepped towards her, eyes wide and voice frantic, “Natalie, where’s Tweek? H-he’s here right? What happened??”

“Tweek was brought in for an act of self-harm,” She spoke slowly as if trying to keep him calm, eyes sympathetic as she looked back and forth between the younger and the clipboard in her hands, “His vitals have stabilized now, but he’s currently resting and probably won’t be awake for a while…I’m sorry, Craig.”

“S-self harm?” Craig’s voice faltered as he spoke, chest constricting painfully as his eyes began to mist over, “I don’t…I-I don’t understand…do you know what happened?”

The woman frowned as he shook her head, glancing over and motioning to a nearby doorway, “I’m not sure, I haven’t been able to speak with him yet. Your friend would probably know more about it, he’s the one who brought him here.”

“Oh god, _Kenny_!” Craig grew panicked once again as he turned to look at the connecting entryway, realizing that it must have led to the waiting room, “Is he okay?! I-I need to—!”

“Wait, Craig,” The younger turned to rush into the adjacent room, but was stopped by a hand coming to rest on his shoulder, “There’s…something else you should know.”

He simply looked back questioningly, wondering what else there possibly could have been to say; the following pause and hesitant look in the woman’s eyes did nothing to help calm his already shot nerves.

“Look, I…I technically shouldn’t be telling you this, but I just wouldn’t feel right not saying anything about it. And I’ve tried contacting his parents, but I haven’t been able to get ahold of them at all,” She pulled Craig to the side a bit, voice lowering as she gave him a serious gaze, “After he stabilized we ran some routine tests, and well…we found heavy traces of methamphetamines in his system. And from what I’m able to tell, it seems as though they’ve been running through his system for a while now.”

“ _What?!_ ” Craig couldn’t help but raise his voice, the absolute shock of the information sending his already jumbled thoughts into a complete spiral, “No, that…th-that can’t be right! Tweek wouldn’t—!” He cut himself off, gaze growing unfocused as he stared off at nothing in particular, “I don’t understand…none of this makes any sense…!”

“I’m sorry, Craig,” The woman’s hand came to rest on his shoulder once more, snapping the younger back to reality as he looked back to her with wide, lost eyes, “I wish there was more I could tell you, but we won’t know anything for sure until he wakes up. I have to get back to work, but…Tweek’s back in room 104, you can go see him whenever you like. He really needs his rest right now though, so please give him a bit of time before you go in, okay?”

She gave him a small, apologetic smile before turning and making her way down the long corridor she’d come from, eventually disappearing around the corner and leaving Craig with nothing but his thoughts.

He simply stood in silence for several long moments, staring down at the floor but not really seeing it; it was more as if he were looking through it, mind trying to process all of the information that had just been dumped onto him, trying his best to come up with an answer.

But no matter how much he tried to piece it all together, _nothing_ about the situation made any sense to him. It was as if the pieces were all from different puzzles entirely, and no amount of trying to work his way through them resulted in anything even remotely coherent.

What the hell happened while he was gone? What could have pushed Tweek to do something so drastic? Why did they find drugs in his system? Craig knew that the other had been going through a rough time recently, and he’d been really worried about him because of it, but he never expected… _this_.

They’d been texting all day too, and Tweek seemed fine! He never said anything was wrong, didn’t show any signs…if something bad had happened, if he’d really been suffering that much, then why didn’t he just say something?! Why didn’t he call!? _Why didn’t he—_

A sudden stinging at his eyes brought Craig crashing back to reality, the back of one of his hands coming up to wipe at the tears now streaming down his cheeks. He breathed in sharply, the air catching in his throat as he swallowed back the sob threatening to spill out.

“ _God damnit_ …” He shakily whispered the words as he squeezed his eyes shut tight, teeth clenched painfully as he tried to force himself to calm down, but to no avail. None of this felt real, and he hoped to no end that he would wake up to find out that it was all just some fucked up nightmare; but when it came down to it, he knew that his hope was in vain.

He glanced back over towards the waiting room, knowing that Kenny would be in there, waiting for him. Maybe the other would be able to tell him more about what had happened? But more than that, Craig needed to make sure that he was okay; or well, as okay as he possibly could be in this situation.

Natalie had said that Kenny was the one to bring Tweek in, meaning he must have been the one to find him…Craig couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like, what sort of state it would’ve put him in.

He slowly made his way over to the entryway, stopping once he reached it and taking a look inside. His eyes immediately fell on the boy he was looking for, the rest of the room completely empty, which made sense considering how late it was.

The other was sitting in the front row of seats, hunched over with his forearms resting on his knees, hands clasped and head hanging low. Craig approached him carefully, stopping only a few feet away as he looked down at the blonde, the other showing no signs of even acknowledging another person in the room.

“Kenny?” He called out quietly, watching as his friend’s head slowly lifted to look at him; his eyes were red and swollen, face still wet with tears, and a look of complete exhaustion covering his features. It seemed to take him a moment to register what was going on, as if his mind had been in a very far off place, but his eyes quickly widened once he realized who exactly he was looking at.

“ _Craig!_ ” Kenny jumped to his feet in a rush, lunging forward suddenly and capturing the other in a crushing embrace, “Oh thank god, Craig, I…I-I’m so sorry, I’m _so sorry_...! I was supposed to _watch_ him, a-and I _promised_ you I’d take care of him, a-and I…!”

Craig’s chest tightened at the words, and he could feel the blonde shaking fiercely against him; he’d never seen Kenny look so broken before, so lost.

It took everything he had not to break down as well, but it was as if the need to stay strong for his friend’s sake was overriding everything else at that moment. It all felt so surreal, and Craig couldn’t help but be in shock, as if his mind were refusing to accept the situation as true.

“Kenny, look at me,” He tried to keep his voice level, but it wavered regardless as he pulled back a bit, forcing the other’s eyes to meet with his own, “I-I don’t know what happened, but I know you, and I _know_ you’d never let anything bad happen to Tweek.”

“B-but I—!”

“You _can’t_ blame yourself for this Kenny, o-okay?” Craig was slowly losing his hold on himself, words growing frantic as he gripped his friend’s forearms tightly, “I know this is hard, but…I-I really need you to tell me what happened, okay?”

Kenny looked back and forth between the other’s eyes, the realization that Craig was on the verge of breaking helping to snap him back to reality. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath, trying to ground himself as best he possibly could.

“You’re right, I…I-I’m sorry, I just…” Kenny let out a heavy sigh as he sat back in his seat, head falling into his hands and shoulders slumping in defeat, “God, I was _so scared_ , Craig, I…I-I didn’t know what to do…”

The blonde took one final deep breath, hands clasped tightly together as he stared into space, his nerves finally seeming to calm down enough for him to recount everything that had happened.

“Once I got your text that you were running late, I called him to see if he was ready to go yet, but he wouldn’t answer…I-I sent him a few texts, but still nothing. I kept trying to tell myself that maybe he was still busy and just didn’t notice, but…I don’t know, I just _knew_ something wasn’t right, i-it was like I could _feel_ it. So I headed over anyways, and I figured if I was wrong I could just wait with him until he was finished, but…something told me I wasn’t going to be wrong, and that I needed to get there _fast."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: On his way back from his sister's soccer game, Craig gets a call from Kenny asking him to come to the hospital. Once there, he finds out from the doctor that Tweek has been hospitalized for an act of self-harm, but that he's currently resting and is unable to be seen at the moment. He's also told that traces of methamphetamine were found in Tweek's system, but since no one's been able to talk to him, no one knows exactly what happened. He meets with Kenny in the waiting room, and after managing to calm down enough, Kenny agrees to tell him everything he remembers.


	39. Come to Pass (pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this chapter is a recollection of the aftermath of the suicide attempt, and contains the most potentially triggering content. As stated before, the descriptions are not particularly graphic, but this should still be kept in mind if you decide to read.

_Once he was parked beside the familiar family café, Kenny hopped out of his car and made his way towards the entrance. He could very clearly see the lights on inside, but other than that the place looked deserted; Tweek was nowhere to be seen._

_The entire ride there he’d felt this strange sense of unease and panic, as if there was something dark looming over him the whole time. His heart was pounding hard against his chest as he stepped up to the door, reaching out for the handle and praying to anyone that could hear him that Tweek hadn’t locked it yet._

_It opened with ease, the soft chime of the bell above meeting his ears and causing him to let out a sigh of relief. A quick glance behind the counter still showed no signs of the younger blonde, and considering that the shop wasn’t very big, there was nowhere else that he possibly could have been hiding in the main area._

_That left only two possible places for him to be: the bathrooms, or the back room._

_The thought that Tweek may have been cleaning one of the bathrooms briefly crossed his mind, but for some reason he didn’t quite understand, his instinct told him to check the backroom first. It just…felt like that was where the other would be._

_“Tweek, it’s Kenny,” He called out just in case, but something already told him that he wasn’t going to get an answer, “Craig’s running late, so I came to pick you up. You weren’t answering your phone, so…”_

_Kenny trailed off as he slowly approached the back door, coming to a stop when he saw that it was slightly ajar. He froze up in his spot when he noticed that the light seemed to be off inside, the realization making his blood run cold for some reason. Something about that room felt very,_ **very** _wrong._

_“Tweek, hey, are you back here?” He gradually forced himself into motion again, swallowing hard as he stepped up to the door, hands beginning to shake, “Look, if you’re trying to scare me, it’s not—”_

_He slowly pushed open the door, eyes widening in horror as the light of the main room spilled in, illuminating the scene before him._

_The first thing he saw was red._

_A few seconds passed where he was completely rigid, unable to register the absolute shock of what he was seeing; but then he sprang into action, adrenaline spiking as he rushed towards to boy he was looking for, sitting limply on the floor with his back pressed to the far wall._

_“Tweek?! Tweek!!” He dropped to his knees next to the other, not caring about the blood soaking into his jeans as he grasped the blonde’s face between his hands, forcing his head to the side to look at him, “Oh god, Tweek, what…wh-what the hell did you do!?”_

_Tweek’s eyes were lidded and extremely unfocused, and at first Kenny wasn’t sure that he was even coherent at all, but his gaze slowly came to meet with that of the boy before him._

_“K…Kenny…?”_

_“I-I’m here Tweek, I…” Kenny could feel tears streaming down his cheeks, voice wavering and hands shaking fiercely as he looked over the younger’s weak, damaged form. His wrists were cut up pretty badly, blood flowing freely from the wounds and pooling onto the floor beneath them._

_It wasn’t until he looked down that he realized just how much blood Tweek had already lost, panic surging up inside of him as he jumped to his feet, “H-holy shit, holy shit…I-I need to…”_

_He gripped his head tightly in his hands, breath quickening to near hyperventilation and eyes darting frantically around the room in search of something,_ **anything** _that might be able to help. He knew that he had to get the other to the hospital as soon as possible, but if he didn’t find something to at least slow the bleeding down, he wasn’t sure they would make it there in time._

_Finally he spotted what seemed to be a first aid kit across the room; he bolted over to it, tearing the box off of the wall and dumping all of its contents out onto the floor, scattering them around until he found what he was looking for._

_“Oh thank god,” The words were sharp under his breath as he grabbed the roll of gauze, rushing back over to the younger before grabbing his arms and beginning to wrap his wrists as best he could._

_Kenny could practically feel their time running out, as if the more seconds that ticked by, the more Tweek was fading from him. Finally he finished dressing the other’s wounds, but he knew that even that was only a temporary solution, so he had to be fast._

_“Tweek, hey!” His hands shot up to cup the blonde’s face, a new wave of panic surging within him when he realized Tweek’s eyes had fallen closed, “Stay with me, okay?? Y-you’re gonna be okay…!”_

_“Kenny, I…I-I’m…sorry…” Tweek’s words were just barely coherent, his voice soft and weak as his eyes opened only a small bit to look at the other again, “T-tell Craig, I…I’m sorry…too…”_

_Kenny could feel his heart shattering, the words giving him pause for a split second; and then his tears came to a stop, a sudden rush of panicked anger giving him newfound resolve._

_“No, you don’t get to do this…you don’t get to do this to us!!” He slid his arms under the younger’s limp form, carefully hoisting him up before running back through the building and out to his car. He set Tweek in the passenger seat before making his way over to the other side, jumping inside and cranking the car to life as he gripped the wheel impossibly tight._

_“When you see him later…you can tell him yourself.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUMMARY: Kenny recalls how he found Tweek to Craig. Because Craig was running late to pick him up from the coffee shop, Kenny was asked to do it instead. Tweek was not answering his calls or texts, but he decided to go anyways because he felt that something wasn't right. Once he gets there, he finds that Tweek has committed an act of self-harm, and rushes him to the hospital as quickly as possible.


	40. Come to Pass (pt. 3)

“I got here as fast as I could, and as soon as I brought Tweek in, they took him away…they tried to ask me what happened, but I…I-I just couldn’t tell them yet, I wasn’t in the place to,” Kenny sat back up in his seat, fingers running loosely through his hair as he let out a heavy breath,

“When I came in here, I found his phone in my pocket…I didn’t even realize I grabbed it when I left, I think it was on the counter but I can’t remember,” He leaned back, slumping in his chair as he looked up at the boy before him, “That was when I called you…I’m so, _so_ sorry Craig…”

“Kenny…” Craig sat in the chair next to his friend, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder as he looked him straight in the eyes, “You saved his life by bringing him here…if you wouldn’t have gotten there when you did, then…”

The noirette trailed off, gaze falling to the floor and brow furrowing as he tried to fight back the tears stinging at his eyes once again. He didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if Kenny hadn’t shown up, if he hadn’t asked the other to pick Tweek up if he wasn’t able to.

From what it sounded like, if Kenny hadn’t been there, by the time Craig would have gotten to the shop, then…it probably would have been too late.

He could feel a chill go down his spine as the thought crossed his mind, and he tried to force it away as soon as it surfaced, the mere idea sending him into a dark spiral.

He could picture himself finally making it to the shop, ready to apologize for being late and to take his boyfriend back home. He could see himself pushing open the back door, only to find Tweek’s body there, bloodied and lifeless. He would have been too late, and there would have been nothing he could have done to change it.

The image was clear in his mind, as if he were actually seeing it, and Craig could feel his sanity slowly slipping away the more he thought of it. It just wouldn’t go away no matter how hard he tried to make it, the scene resurfacing over and over again; he could see Tweek’s dull, empty eyes, feel his icy skin as he screamed at him to wake up, wake up, _please just wake up!!_

How could he have let this happen? _How the hell could he have let this happen?!_ He should have stayed home, he should have tried harder to make sure Tweek was okay, he should have done _more!_ How could he have not have seen how badly the other was hurting? How could he have left him alone when he _knew_ that something wasn’t right?!

If Kenny hadn’t been there, his boyfriend would be dead, and it would be _his_ fault. He would have lost him forever, all because he couldn’t be there when Tweek needed him the most. If he would have just been there, if he would have _stayed_ , then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. How could he have been so _stupid_?!

“ _Craig!_ ”

The noirette was jolted back to reality at the sound of his name, the suddenness of it making him jump in his seat, wide eyes darting over to look at the boy next to him. He hadn’t even realized that he’d zoned out until that moment, and it took him a few seconds to fully tune back in to his surroundings.

He could feel the tears pouring down his face, body shaking uncontrollably at the crushing weight filling his chest, and he suddenly became aware of the fact that he wasn’t breathing properly anymore. He finally refocused on the blonde beside him, and he realized that the other was staring at him with a very intense, concerned gaze.

“Hey, listen to me,” Kenny shifted so that he was facing his friend fully, hand coming to rest on his forearm as he gave him a serious look, “I need you to stay with me, Craig, please. I-I know it’s a lot to ask, but…we’re in this together, I _need_ us to be. This…this wasn’t anyone’s fault, okay? I-if I’m not allowed to blame myself, then neither are you. There’s no way either of us could have known this was going to happen…”

Forcing his breathing to calm back down, Craig allowed his eyes to fall closed as he gave a small nod. He knew that what Kenny said was true; they needed to try and stay strong for one another, but more than that, they needed to stay strong for Tweek.

If they kept blaming themselves and getting lost in the “what if’s”, they would never be able to make it through this. They were in this together, whether they wanted to be or not.

“Kenny…thank you,” Craig stared off into space as his eyes opened once more, voice shaking slightly as he tried to find the right words to say, “Thank you, for saving him…and for being here…”

The other didn’t respond; there was no need to.

Craig knew that he would never truly be able to repay Kenny for what he’d done that night. For Tweek, and for him.

“We’ll make it through this…okay?” The blonde placed his hand on the other’s knee, giving it a gentle squeeze as he tried his best to put on a reassuring smile. The broken look within his eyes was much harder to hide, and it was clear that even he was unsure of his words; but even so, Craig appreciated the gesture regardless.

“Yeah…we will.” He nodded once again before reaching up and rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand, trying his best to wipe away the tears that stained his cheeks. They simply looked at one another for a moment after that, a sort of silent understanding passing between them.

They were both there for the same reason. And because of that, they needed each other now more than ever.

 

“Have you…seen him yet?” Craig broke the silence after a few more seconds, glancing back over in the direction that he’d come in from, “Natalie told me he was still resting, but…”

Kenny sighed and sat back in his seat as he shook his head, hands coming to rest in his lap, “No, they wouldn’t let me. They told me he was doing better, but that it probably wasn’t a good idea to go back there yet, so…I’ve just been waiting here.”

The blonde opened his mouth to say something else, but the sound of a ringtone going off in the otherwise quiet room made both of them jump in their spots. It seemed to take them both a minute to even realize what the noise was, but as soon as it clicked Kenny fished his phone out of his pocket, staring at the screen for a moment before answering the call and putting it to his ear.

The noirette watched as the other stood up and made his way to the other side of the room, the sound of his voice growing quiet and far off as he talked to whoever was on the other end. Craig turned his gaze forward again in an attempt not to eavesdrop, falling deep into thought as he let out a small sigh.

No matter how many times he ran everything through in his mind, nothing about this made any sense to him. Something _had_ to have happened while he was away, but he couldn’t for the life of him come up with what that might have been.

He knew that Tweek was working alone that night, so it wasn’t as if he’d gotten into a fight with his parents or anything; and even if he had, he’d gotten into plenty of fights with them before, there’s just no way it would have led him to do something like this. The older boy wanted desperately to talk to the other, to find out what had happened to him and try to make everything okay in any ways that he could.

But more than anything, Craig just wanted to see him again. He just couldn’t shake this feeling that, if things had gone differently tonight…he never would have gotten the chance to. And that thought alone was the most terrifying thing he could possibly imagine.

 

He barely even noticed as Kenny got off the phone and made his way back over, only looking up once the other stopped in front of him. He immediately noticed the frustrated, almost uncomfortable expression on his friend’s face, his furrowed brow and deep frown making him look even more exhausted than before.

“Hey, uhm…” Craig was about to ask him what was wrong when the blonde spoke up, glancing off to the side as he shoved his hands into his pockets, “I need to go back home…I really hate to leave, but Karen just called, and…”

He trailed off at that, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he sighed and shook his head, clearly unhappy about whatever he’d been told over the phone, “I just need to get back over there. But I promise I’ll be back as soon as possible, okay?”

“Is everything alright?” Craig couldn’t help but feel concerned, because he knew well enough how run down the other was from what he’d already been through that night. He also knew how much Kenny cared about his younger sister, so something bad happening at home was the last thing he needed right now.

“It will be.” The blonde paused for a second before glancing back down at the other and trying his best to put on another reassuring smile, although this time it was much more obviously forced, “Just some family stuff I need to take care of, don’t worry about me. Will you…be okay here by yourself?”

Kenny’s eyes softened at the question, concern swimming within them as his smile turned sympathetic, “I don’t want to have to leave you here alone, but…”

“I’ll be okay,” Craig tried to return the smile, although he knew that he probably looked just as tired and run down as the other, so he knew that it probably wasn’t as convincing as he’d hoped it would be, “Go do what you need to do, okay? If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

He knew that it was a long shot, because Kenny wasn’t the type to really ask for help from anyone, especially when it came to his family and personal life. But even so, the blonde seemed to appreciate the offer anyways.

“Thanks, I will,” Kenny gave a small nod as the other stood up, the two of them walking over towards the main room so that Craig could see him off. They stopped once they reached the entryway, turning to face once another and simply looking at each other quietly for a few seconds, gazes meeting.

“If he wakes up before I get back…will you let me know?”

“Of course I will,” The noirette nodded reassuringly, the gesture seeming to ease the other’s nerves a bit as he visibly relaxed, shoulders falling as he let out a deep breath.

“Thank you,” Kenny’s smile faltered a bit as he looked at the other, eyes going back and forth between Craig’s own as if searching them for something, “Are you…sure you’ll be okay here?”

 “Yeah,” Craig spoke as if he actually believed the words himself, trying his best to not cause his friend any more anxiety, because his concern was clear on his features, “You don’t have to worry about me either.”

They both knew that it was lie; it was impossible for either of them not to worry about the other in this situation. But even so, Kenny thankfully didn’t try to press the subject further, knowing full-well that it wouldn’t really make a difference.

They both knew the truth anyways.

After a few more moments of silence, Kenny slowly reached forward, wrapping his arms around the other and pulling him into a tight embrace. Craig returned it gratefully, the two of them staying like that for a few more seconds before pulling away once again, although the blonde’s hand lingered on his forearm as he looked at his friend intently.

“Take care of yourself, Craig,” Finally Kenny let go completely, turning and taking the few steps over to the exit and stopping to look over his shoulder as the double doors slid open, “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Craig simply nodded and returned the other’s small wave before watching him make his way outside, eventually disappearing into the night.

As soon as he was alone, he couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh; the space around him felt much emptier now, the feeling slowly beginning to weigh on him as his shoulders fell a bit.

The shock was gradually beginning to fade little by little, the reality of the situation truly setting in and leaving him feeling as if he hadn’t slept in days. His limbs felt extremely heavy as he made his way back to the waiting room, all of his movements slowed as if he were trying to wade through quicksand.

Craig slowly sunk back into his seat once he made it over, the soft sound of infomercials playing on the overhead TV the only real noise in the otherwise quiet room. He tried his best to focus on it, but everything just seemed so far off and distant, the voices slowly devolving into nothing but a low background hum.

His mind began to wander, gaze unfocused as he stared ahead at nothing in particular and leaned forward, forearms resting on his things and hands hanging limply between his legs. His thoughts gradually became more and more incoherent, until eventually he was left thinking of nothing at all, his surroundings fading from his senses as he simply existed in the empty space.

It was kind of nice, not having to think about anything. The absolute numbness was an almost welcomed distraction from the feelings of panic and loss swimming inside of his chest.

The only thing that managed to make its way into his mind was an image of Tweek; he could picture the last time they’d seen each other, before Craig had left in the afternoon to head to his sister’s soccer game. He knew that his boyfriend had to work that night, but he’d asked if the other wanted to call in and come along anyways.

He could remember the way the blonde smiled and shook his head, saying something about how it was important that he go in that night, but thanking Craig anyways for the offer. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how fake that smile really looked.

He knew that something had been up with Tweek recently, and he’d been trying so hard to find out what it was and to help in whatever ways that he could, but the other just kept assuring him that he was fine; and he wore that same smile on his face each time he said it.

Craig knew that he wasn’t being honest, and that he was clearly trying to hide just how badly he was doing; but even so, he never would have expected something like this to happen.

He knew that blaming himself wasn’t going to help anything, but…he also knew that he should have done more. He should have tried harder to remind Tweek that he was there for him, no matter what. To make things easier for him, if even just a little bit. There was so much that he wished he would have done better, that he could change.

It’s funny how situations like this make you think of all the things you could have done differently.

But now…he was going to make sure that he would do everything right. He’d never wanted Tweek to feel alone again, to feel as though he were trapped and had no one he could turn to. He always wanted to be there for him, to let him know how much he was loved and cared for.

Craig would do anything for him. He was going to find out what had happened to the other and do everything in his power to make things right again, no matter what it took.

He needed to. Both for Tweek, and for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUMMARY: Both Craig and Kenny feel as though they're to blame for what happened, but decide that blaming themselves isn't going to help the situation at all, so they agree to try to stay strong for each other and for Tweek. Kenny explains that he hasn't been able to see Tweek yet either, but that he was told he was doing better. He ends up getting a call from Karen, his sister, and tells Craig that he has to return home for a while to deal with some family issues. Before he leaves, Craig promises to tell him once Tweek wakes up and he's able to see him. Craig is then left alone in the waiting room, and although he still feels that what happened is partially his fault, he promises himself that he's going to do whatever it takes to make things right again.


	41. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited continuation of "The Book of Love" is finally here!
> 
> Craig has been hit with the heartbreaking news of his boyfriend's suicide attempt, and after rushing to the hospital to see him, has been given some rather confusing and troubling information. He's been left waiting for Tweek to awaken for quite some time...and now that he finally has, what will Craig do when he finds out what exactly happened while he was away?
> 
> Read on to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo everyone! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ I know I know, look who it is right?? She's still alive! Boy oh boy has it been a long time since my last update, and I apologize for making you all wait so long. Life is busy busy busy, and since I've started the first semester of my Senior year, it's been absolute hell on Earth. I've got so much going on right now academics wise, it's been pretty overwhelming! 
> 
> Buuuut I have been continuously working on the fic believe it or not, I've just been doing it a bit more behind the scenes. When I get overwhelmed with work and life stuff, I tend to like get myself ahead chapters wise before I start posting again, just to give myself a little bit of leeway so that there's not super long hiatuses between each individual chapter. So I hope you'll forgive the lateness, but I do want you all to know that this fic is by no means dead and there's still quite a bit I have planned out for it!
> 
> I've been holding off on when I wanted to start posting again, but I figured that tonight would be the perfect time to do it because, as I'm sure most of you already know, THE NEW SEASON STARTS TONIGHT!!! Wow do I feel like I've been waiting forever for it, I'm so soooo excited to finally have some new South Park content in my life! Ironically I probably won't be able to actually watch it tonight though, because of course you need a TV provider to watch the stream, which I sadly don't have. ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚ Looks like I'm just going to have to stay away from tumblr until it's actually available online lol. 
> 
> But, for any of you that are able to watch it when it airs, I hope that it's great and that you all enjoy it! And I of course hope that you enjoy the new chapter(s) as well!! And just know that there will definitely be more to come in the near future, so if you thought this was a dead fic, I hope this puts all of your minds at ease! Anyways, I'm gonna stop talking before I take up the whole page, but as always I thank you all so much for reading, and I hope that you continue to stick around to see where this fic goes in the future!
> 
> SLATS~

Craig simply sat in the waiting room, allowing his mental and physical exhaustion to overtake him at random points in time. It wasn’t as if he were actually falling asleep, but rather fading in and out of consciousness on occasion, his mind growing blank and empty as he did. But no amount of rest, if you could even call it that, made him feel any better.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been waiting there for; it was as if he were no longer aware of the passage of time. Oddly enough, there were also no windows in the room, and he couldn’t seem to find a clock anywhere. Not that he particularly cared to look at either.

The time of day didn’t really matter to him anymore; all that mattered was waiting for Tweek to wake up.

His parents had called at one point to ask him where he was, and it sounded as though they were getting ready for work, so he knew that it at least had to be early morning. He didn’t give any details about what had happened, just told them that Tweek had had an accident and was in the hospital, so he was waiting to see him.

They thankfully didn’t try to push any further. No one really needed to know any specifics anyways, unless Tweek himself decided that he wanted to tell someone; but something already told Craig that that wouldn’t be the case.

He could hear the soft sound of footsteps coming into the room after a moment, and it seemed as though the person was coming over to him. He’d been sitting with his eyes closed, leaning back in the chair and teetering on the edge of consciousness once again, but he was still slightly tuned in to his surroundings.

Craig slowly opened his eyes, glancing up to meet with those of the woman he’d seen earlier. He straightened up in his spot as she made her way over, figuring that she must have had something important to tell him, otherwise she wouldn’t have come in directly.

“Hey Craig,” She stopped in front of him, looking down with the same tired, sympathetic smile from before, “I just wanted to come let you know that Tweek’s just woken up, so you can go see him now if you’d like.”

The younger immediately perked up at the words, eyes widening slightly as he looked back at her hopefully, “Really? He’s awake now?”

All it took was a nod of agreement for him to jump up out of his seat, all of the exhaustion momentarily seeming to fade from his features as his heart jumped in his chest. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there for, but he knew that it had been awhile, so hearing that Tweek was finally conscious again was beyond good news to him.

“Oh thank god…thank you for telling me, Natalie. I’ll go see him now,” He gave her a small, grateful smile before following her out of the waiting room, the two of them parting ways once they reached the end of the hallway and turned in separate directions.

Craig made his way down until he spotted the numbers “104” nearby, his steps quickening as he came closer and closer to his destination. The rooms seemed to be of a decent size from what he could tell from the few empty ones he passed by, each of them housing a bed, some medical equipment, a chair or two, and what appeared to be a wall mounted TV.

He slowed once he finally reached the correct room, stopping outside and looking in through the small glass window at the top of the door. He could feel his chest tighten painfully, the breath catching in his throat when he caught sight of Tweek inside.

The other was sitting up on the bed, back leaning against the bedframe and head hanging low, eyes empty as they stared down into his lap. Craig could see the bandages wrapped around his wrists, going halfway up his forearms, and he seemed to be hooked up to some type of IV, as well as a heartrate monitor. He didn’t seem to notice him standing there.

Craig took a long, deep breath, hand resting on the doorknob for a moment as he tried his best to mentally prepare himself. No matter what happened while he was in there, no matter what Tweek told him, he needed to stay strong. He needed to be there for him.

He slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside, not taking his eyes off of the other for even a moment as he shut it softly behind him. The blonde seemed to at least pick up on his presence there, but still refused to look up, gaze unfocused as he continued to stare down at nothing in particular.

Craig made his way over to a chair that was situated next to the bed and sat down wordlessly, eyes latched intently to the younger as he waited for him to speak first. He wanted to be patient with Tweek, because as much as he wanted to know what was going on, he knew that the other’s mental state wasn’t particularly sound at the moment, and the last thing he wanted was to make things worse for him.

Several long moments of silence passed, the only sound in the room being the soft ticking of a nearby clock on the wall. Tweek turned his gaze towards the other a bit, but still kept his eyes cast down, as if he couldn’t actually bring himself to look at the older boy. He seemed deep in thought, as if he wanted to say something, but was unable to actually find the right words.

Finally he spoke up, Craig latching onto his every word as he listened intently.

“All my life…” He broke the silence, voice weak and quiet as if he were having trouble forcing the words out, “All my life I was told that there was something wrong with me, that I was messed up in the head. That I had problems that couldn’t be fixed…I grew up convinced that I was a freak, that I would never be normal and that no one would ever care about me because of it…

“But they knew.” Tweek’s eyes narrowed as he glared off into space, teeth clenching as he sucked in a deep, shaky breath, “They knew exactly what they were doing to me…”

Craig simply listened, brow furrowing a bit in confusion as he watched the other closely, unsure of what exactly he was talking about. He wanted to ask, but he tried to hold off for a bit longer, knowing that Tweek would probably explain what he meant in his own time.

“Do you know what it’s like, Craig?” For the first time since he’d gotten there, the younger acknowledged him directly, his voice beginning to waver a bit as he spoke, “To find out that you’ve been lied to your entire life? I mean, I knew that they didn’t give a shit about me, but…”

“Tweek,” Craig finally spoke up, his voice soft and cautious as he tried gently to urge the other forward, “What’s this about…?”

“There’s meth in the coffee, Craig.”

The statement was so sudden that it took the older boy a moment to even process what he’d heard, as if his brain couldn’t actually piece the information together. His eyes slowly widened as it began to dawn on him, the weight of what his boyfriend said putting him in a state of absolute shock.

That…couldn’t be right…could it?

He watched as Tweek balled his hands up tightly, his body beginning to shake as he squeezed his eyes shut, tears sliding down his cheeks.

“And my parents…th-they’ve been…” His voice broke as he spoke, soft sobs beginning to spill from his lips as his hands shot up to cover his face, “They’ve been f-feeding it to me…this _w-whole time…!!_ ”

Craig could feel his stomach sink at the words, his heart practically shattering as he watched the other break down in front of him. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything no matter how badly he wanted to, his arms darting forward to wrap around the younger’s trembling form and pull him close.

He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, capturing Tweek in a tight embrace as he unraveled completely, his painful, uncontrolled sobs filling the room as he buried his face in Craig’s chest and clung to him for dear life.

“I-I’m so sorry Craig… _I’m so sorry!!”_ Tweek didn’t even bother to keep his voice down anymore, tears soaking into the other’s jacket as he clutched onto it tightly, the feeling of Craig’s arms around him making him lose all control over himself.

The older boy held him close, his own eyes falling closed as the tears welled up behind them until he couldn’t hold them back anymore. Seeing Tweek like this was the most painful thing he’d ever experienced, each and every word causing his heart to break further.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, what the younger’s parents had done to him. What they’d _been_ doing to him. Craig had never liked them because of the way they always treated Tweek, but he never would have expected them to do something like _this_.

He never would have thought that they would sink this low…and to _their own child?_ How fucked up in the head did you have to be to even _consider_ something like this?!

Craig held onto Tweek as if he were afraid of what would happen should he decide to let go; in a way, he supposed that he really was. He placed his hand to the back of the younger’s head, fingers curling into his hair as he simply allowed the blonde to come undone.

“Shhh, I’m here now…I’ve got you…” As much as Craig tried to soothe the other, he knew that nothing he could say would be able to fix this…there was no magic word to make everything better, to make all of the pain go away. The best thing he could do was to remind Tweek that he was there, that he wasn’t going anywhere. To try to ground and reassure him; to let him know that they would do everything they could to make it through this together.

He wanted nothing more in that moment than to take the pain away, to take and bare it himself if he could. But this was all he could do for the time being. It was all he knew how.

But in the back of his mind, as he held the shaking blonde within his arms, heart wrenching sobs echoing in his ears, Craig knew that there was one more thing he could do; no, that he _had_ to do.

He couldn’t let them get away with this, the ones who had hurt Tweek so deeply. The ones who made him feel as if he had nothing left to live for, nowhere else to turn. He couldn’t let them hurt him, or anyone else, ever again. And he knew just the way to make sure that they wouldn’t ever get the chance to.

All he needed was a little bit of help.


	42. A Little Bit of Help (addition)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly just a continuation of the last chapter, I just separated them to make it flow better. So enjoy!

Craig wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Tweek’s sorrowful cries died down, his quivering frame finally slowing as everything came to a halt. Things grew completely silent for a while, and it wasn’t until the other’s soft, deep breathing met his ears that he realized the blonde had fallen asleep in his arms.

Even then he didn’t move for quite some time, lost in thought as he stared off at nothing in particular, absently combing his fingers through Tweek’s hair. Finally he made his move, laying the younger gently back onto the bed before slowly rising from his spot, trying his best not to disturb him in any way. His expression seemed so peaceful in that moment, contrasted by his swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

He knew how exhausted the other must have been, both mentally and physically, with everything he’d been through in the past however many hours. The last thing that Craig wanted was to leave his side, especially because he didn’t want the blonde to wake back up without him there. But he knew that Tweek would likely be out for a while, and there was something very important that he needed to do in the meantime.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Craig stepped out into the hallway before shutting the door quietly behind him, not wanting to potentially wake the younger up with the noise. Once he was sure he was out of earshot, he searched through his contacts before putting the phone to his ear, listening patiently to the soft ringing as he waited for the other to answer.

Only a moment passed before the call was picked up, the person on the other end sounding much more exhausted than the last time they’d spoken.

“Hello?” Kenny’s voice was quiet and strained, almost as if he’d been yelling recently. The noirette couldn’t help but frown at the thought, wondering exactly what he’d had to deal with once he’d gotten home.

“Hey, it’s me. Everything okay?”

“Oh, hey Craig,” The blonde recognized the other’s voice after a moment, not having bothered to check the caller ID in his hazed state, “Yeah, everything’s fine now. I had some shit to deal with and then I guess I passed out for a little bit without realizing. How’s Tweek, have you seen him yet?”

“Yeah, he woke up about an hour ago I think. He’s asleep again now, but…could you come back over as soon as you can? There’s something we really need to talk about.”

“Of course,” There was a lull for a moment as if the other were distracted by something, followed by some rustling on the other end as he cleared his throat, “Give me a minute and I’ll head that way, okay? Should be about ten, fifteen.”

“Thanks Ken.”

They said their goodbye’s and ended the call, but even then Craig didn’t move from his spot. He could just see into Tweek’s room from where he was standing, and he found himself glancing through the small window to catch a glimpse of the younger’s still, sleeping form.

His thoughts trailed off at that, mind racing as he thought over what he planned to do. What if something went wrong? What if it didn’t even work at all? What if Kenny didn’t go for it?

He couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious as the “what if’s” swarmed through his head; everything was dependent not only on the actions of a third party, but one that was entirely unpredictable.

But even with all of the uncertainties, Craig knew that if there was even the slightest chance that this could work, he had to try. The risks didn’t matter anymore; he needed to do this for Tweek. He needed to try and make things right.

He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he didn’t.


	43. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Let me just start off by saying...that last episode, oh my god. Those last few seconds just ended my life. And the new episode, it was really good! Not the direction that I expected it to take personally, but I'm glad it ended the way that it did. Don't want to give any spoilers of course in case you aren't able to watch it yet, but just know that in my opinion, (although not my favorite kind of episode) it was really good!
> 
> Anyways, I'm so, soooo glad to be posting again, really. Being able to actively share my newest additions to the story and seeing all of your guys' feedback is such a great feeling to me <3 any comments I get are 110% appreciated, because it lets me know what you guys think of the progression so far. So for all of you that are continuing to follow along, and especially for all of you that post your thoughts at the end of each chapter, I just want you to know how much I truly appreciate it!! Even if I'm not able to respond to every comment I get, I want you to know without a shadow of a doubt that I read them all, and I seriously love them. Getting those emails in the morning that say that someone has commented on the newest chapter, or any chapter really, is such an awesome thing for me. So thank you all so much for your continued support!
> 
> And without further ado, here is the newest chapter of "The Book of Love!" I hope that you all enjoy it, and I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts. <3
> 
> SLATS~

Kenny could feel his stomach churning as he approached the all too familiar double doors. He’d seen his fair share of this place when he was younger, more times than he could count, even; more times than should have been possible, at least for any normal child.

It had always managed to leave a bad taste in his mouth back then, but this was different; this was much, _much_ worse. Because this was no longer about him anymore.

He could picture himself bursting through those doors, Tweek’s limp form in his arms as he frantically cried out for someone, _anyone_ to help him. He could see personnel running over and taking the younger from him before rushing him to the back, hurried warnings about how they were running out of time, how they needed to do something fast.

The flashing memories hit him hard as the doors slid open, freezing him in place with one foot in front of the other as he stared off with an unfocused gaze. He could feel the panic begin to bubble within him as the scene replayed in his mind, and he quickly tried to force it down as best he could, reminding himself that the worst had already come to pass.

“He’s okay now,” The blonde said the words as if they were a mantra, eyes falling closed for a moment as he exhaled deeply, “He’s going to be okay.”

Finally Kenny was able to break from his spot, the sheer desire to see the younger blonde and convince himself the other was okay helping to drive him forward. The hospital felt uncomfortably quiet as he made his way through the halls, the only other indication of life being a few stray passerby’s and the soft tapping of a keyboard nearby.

This place always felt so…cold.

It was as if the stench of death had permeated the walls here, making it nearly impossible to escape.

A few moments later he found the room he knew Tweek would be in, pushing open the door and stepping inside before shutting it quietly behind him. His gaze fell to the one he was looking for, eyes closed and chest rising and falling in a slow, steady pattern as he slept peacefully.

A quick glance around the room showed that Craig was nowhere to be seen; probably in the bathroom, Kenny assumed.

The blonde took a few steps forward before sliding down into the chair positioned at the side of the bed, eyes not straying from Tweek for even a moment. His gaze trailed down to the younger’s bandaged wrists, hand rising to run his fingertips lightly along the fabric.

It wasn’t until that moment that Kenny realized he was holding his breath; for how long, he wasn’t sure. He let out a deep, melancholic sigh as his hand continued to slide down, finally coming to a stop as he curled his fingers gently around Tweek’s own.

“I need you to be okay…” He spoke the words softly to himself, eyes falling closed as he took a deep, grounding breath, “...we both do.”

A moment or so passed before he opened his eyes once more, and it was then that he realized they were no longer alone in the room. His gaze darted over to see Craig watching him, standing there with his back pressed to the door.

Normally he would have noticed when someone had even approached the door, so the fact that he hadn’t even realized the other had come in really went to show just how deeply affected he was by everything.

“Oh, sorry…” Kenny quickly retracted his hand as he shifted uncomfortably under the noirette’s careful gaze, “I was just—”

“I think we’re well past that now.”

They looked at one another silently for a moment, a knowing gaze passing between them as the meaning of the words settled on the blonde. If he didn’t know any better, Kenny would have thought that the other was trying to start something with the statement, but Craig’s eyes showed no hints of malice, and it was clear that held no ill will.

“You have as much of a right to love him as I do,” Craig continued on, expression falling as he put on a sad, hollow smile, “Maybe even more so.”

“Craig, I—” Kenny couldn’t help but frown deeply at the statement as he stood from his spot, eyes imploring as he looked at the other; it was very clear to him that the noirette was still blaming himself for what had happened, and the last thing he wanted was for him to believe that he wasn’t worthy of loving Tweek anymore.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Craig raised his hands as the blonde took a few steps towards him, effectively stopping the other in his tracks, “I didn’t mean it like that, I just…” He trailed off at that, a deep, defeated sounding sigh leaving him as he allowed his eyes to fall closed for a moment.

He knew well enough that talking in that way wasn’t going to help anything, but at some moments he still couldn’t seem to help it, as if his filter was completely shot and he couldn’t keep himself from saying whatever came to his mind at any given moment.

“Look, it’s not important,” Finally Craig shook his head, hands lowered back to his sides as he gazed at the other intently, “This isn’t why I called you here. There’s something that we really need to talk about.”

The sudden seriousness in the other’s voice caught Kenny a bit off guard, and he couldn’t help but furrow his brow as he studied Craig’s expression, trying to figure out what exactly it was that he wanted.

“Okay, shoot.”

The room fell quiet for a moment as Craig glanced at the sleeping blonde in front of him, his voice going a bit reserved as he motioned back to the door he was leaning against, “How about we go somewhere a bit more private.”

Without waiting for a response he turned on his heel and stepped out into the hallway, making his way into one of the empty side rooms as Kenny followed closely behind. Once the other had followed him inside, the noirette took one last glance around the surrounding hall before shutting the door behind them, wanting to make absolutely sure that no one was in earshot before he came out with his plan.

Once he was certain that they were in a safe place, Craig turned back to look at the older boy, his entire demeanor shifting as he crossed his arms and glanced off to the side, gaze intent as he ran everything over in his mind one final time.

“I need your help,” Finally he spoke after several long moments of agonizing silence, his words still holding a bit of reluctance to them as he stared off at nothing in particular, “Or, well…Mysterion’s help.”

“Mysterion?” Kenny couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the statement, the others words giving him pause and only managing to confuse him further, “That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while…what’s this about, Craig?”

The noirette closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, his resolve strengthening as green eyes finally met directly with the questioning blues before him.

“Kenny…I know why Tweek did this.”

“What?” The surprise in the blonde’s voice was crystal clear as he leaned forward, his relaxed posture growing rigid as he stared at the other with wide eyes, “What do you mean, what happened??”

“You uhm…might wanna sit down for this."


	44. Do You Even Have to Ask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short addition to the previous chapter!

“Are you fucking _serious!?_ ” Craig watched as Kenny’s eyes grew wide and frantic, voice raised in disbelief as he put his hand to his forehead, “This…this can’t be right…I-I don’t understand. Are you absolutely _sure_ about this, Craig?”

“He told me himself,” The noirette nodded his head solemnly, watching the other with a creful gaze as he leaned back against the wall.

“This is…w-we can’t let them get away with this!” Kenny jumped from his seat suddenly, his demeanor desperate and imploring as he came closer to the other, “We have to do something, we have to—!”

“I know,” Craig let out a shaky sigh as he ran his fingers loosely through his hair, “I know we do…that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

“Anything, Craig.” The air around them shifted suddenly, Kenny’s voice growing serious as he stared at the other with a burning intensity, “Anything you need, just tell me and I’ll do it.”

In retrospect, Craig should have seen this type of reaction coming; he knew that his fear of the other potentially not going for his idea wasn’t really a logical one, but hearing Kenny say this still brought him a great wave of relief regardless.

“Do you still have connections with the police force?” Craig continued on with newfound resolve, watching the fire build behind the blonde’s eyes at his words, “Not the South Park department, the guys above them.”

“Of course, they all still owe me a shit-ton for all the help I gave them in the past. What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to get us in contact with them…do you think you can do that?”

The room fell quiet for a moment as they gazed knowingly at one another, a silent understanding passing between them as Kenny nodded firmly.

“Just say the word.”


	45. Close Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo everyone! I hope that you're all doing well :) sorry this chapter's late, I actually meant to post it last night; I'm going to try and update when the new episodes come out every week, but I was caught in the hurricane storm and I lost power! Anyways, I'm here now, which is what matters! Also, can we all just have a moment of silent appreciation for my beautiful boy in his witch costume? You go out there and be the best witch you can be bb <3 I stan you 110%.
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter! I love you lots, and I'll be seeing you in the next one~!
> 
> SLATS~

****

Tweek wasn’t sure how much time had passed since his encounter with Craig, the fog of sleep hanging heavy over him as he finally forced his eyes open.

Each time he dozed off felt as though he were falling into an eternal slumber, one that would be nearly impossible to pull himself from. He supposed that this feeling was more residual than anything, because when he’d begun to fall unconscious back then, there was a very good chance he never would have woken back up, had it not been for—

“…Kenny?”

Even though his gaze was a bit of a blur and his head was still hazed, he recognized the other instantly.

Kenny was sitting across the small room, head resting in his hand and a thoughtful look on his face as he stared off.

“Tweek!” His wide eyes darted over at the sound of his name, voice surprised as he quickly jumped up from his chair and rushed to the side of the bed, “Oh thank god you’re awake! I-I was so worried, I thought that…”

He couldn’t help but trail off as he noticed the younger’s expression fall, blue eyes misting over as tears began to well within them.

“K-Kenny, I…I-I’m so sorry, I—!”

His voice was wavering so badly that he was having trouble even getting the words out, breath hitching as he tried to bite back a quiet sob.

“Hey, look at me,” Kenny’s hands quickly reached up to grasp Tweek’s face between them as he sat on the edge of the bed, gaze intent as it locked with that of the boy before him, “You don’t have to say it, okay?”

He pulled the other forward suddenly, arms moving to wrap around him in a tight, close embrace.

“You’re okay now…that’s all that matters to me.”

Tweek couldn’t help but breathe in deeply as he wrapped his arms around Kenny’s torso in return, a wave of calming relief seeming to wash over him as his tears came to a stop.

Something about the other seemed different, in a way. He couldn’t quite place what it was, but it was almost as if the older boy were…brighter, in a sense. Not emotionally speaking, but…something about his entire demeanor just seemed… _different_. There wasn’t really any other way to put it.

They slowly pulled back at that, although their arms stayed wrapped around one another for a moment longer.

As Tweek looked at the other, it seemed as if something may have been changed about his appearance as well, but the younger once again couldn’t seem to place why. It was almost like he were seeing Kenny in a sort of haze, as if there was a light source behind the other that was outlining him in a soft glow.

It was very faint though, and it seemed that it was gone right as Tweek noticed it, so he couldn’t be sure if he’d actually seen it at all.

“Is everything alright?” The confusion must have been clear on the younger’s face, because Kenny’s brow furrowed slightly as he studied the other for a moment, voice tinged with worry.

“Yeah, I just…” Tweek stared at his friend for a moment longer before shaking his head, trying his best to cover up his confusion with a small smile, “Just feeling a little light headed, I guess.”

“You should lay back down then,” Kenny pulled back completely at that, allowing the other to lean back in his spot on the bed, “Do you need me to call in a nurse?”

“I’ll be okay, just need some more rest probably.”

Trying to take his mind off of the strange flags going off in the back of his mind, Tweek took a quick glance around the room before realizing that something, or rather, some _one_ was missing; Kenny must have noticed his questioning gaze, as he chimed in before the other was even able to ask.

“Craig had to go do something for a little bit, but he should be back soon. We didn’t want you to be alone when you woke up, so I stayed behind.” Kenny tried to keep it as vague as possible, but this only seemed to peak the younger’s interest, an almost suspicious light filling his eyes as he raised an eyebrow.

“Besides,” The older blonde’s gaze softened as he smiled sweetly, quickly changing the subject, “I really wanted to see you, too.”

“Thanks for staying with me, then,” Tweek couldn’t help but smile back at the comment, although his eyes grew sad and apologetic a second later, “And for, well…everything.”

The room fell quiet for a moment as they looked at one another; there was so much more that Tweek wanted to say, to apologize for, but he knew that Kenny didn’t want to hear it at the moment. It wasn’t as if it were out of malice or anything though, it was more that he didn’t want the younger to feel that he had to talk about it if he wasn’t ready to.

Tweek didn’t think that he was very deserving of that sort of consideration after everything that had happened, but he was forever grateful for it, nonetheless.

Just then, as if on cue, a soft knock came at the door, followed by Craig poking his head in a moment later.

“Oh hey, you’re up!” A bright smile spread across his face as he stepped inside and shut the door behind himself, “How are you feeling?”

“A bit tired still, but I’m doing okay.” Tweek watched as he made his way over, gaze softening as he reached down to grasp the younger’s hand gently within his own.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Craig leaned down to press a soft kiss to Tweek’s forehead before pulling back, eyes shifting over as he motioned to the older blonde at the opposite side of the bed, “Did he take good care of you while I was gone?”

“Of course,” Tweek took note of the small, almost knowing smiles on each of their faces as they looked at one another. Something between them seemed to be different as well, but because he wasn’t sure of what it was, he couldn’t help but feel a bit out of the loop.

What exactly was going on here?

Tweek was about to let his curiosity get the better of him and just ask, but Craig spoke up again before he was able, his smile turning apologetic as he looked down at the younger once more.

“I actually can’t stay long right now, but I wanted to check in and see how you were doing. And hopefully borrow him for a bit,” He motioned once again over to Kenny at that before glancing back down at his boyfriend, his voice now laced with worry, “Do you think you’ll be alright by yourself for a little while?”

“I’ll be fine Craig, don’t worry about me.” Tweek tried his best to smile reassuringly, but the way the other’s expression fell when he said those words told him that it hadn’t come across in the way he’d intended.

He knew that it was only fair that Craig didn’t believe him; after all, those were basically the last words he’d said to the other before winding up here, so he completely understood the mistrust in his boyfriend’s eyes as they gazed into his own.

Craig was quiet for a long moment, the room holding an awkwardly heavy atmosphere as they looked at one another. Without saying anything he pulled out his phone, followed by him looking down at the screen and quickly typing something before putting it back into his jacket pocket.

“Please don’t take this personally honey, but…I would feel much better having someone here with you while we’re gone,” His eyes held an imploring light within them as he looked down at the younger, an almost hesitant smile gracing his lips, “I hope you understand. Is it alright with you if Kyle comes by?”

“Yeah, I’m fine with that…” Tweek returned his smile, although he couldn’t help but feel a bit sad at the revelation that it would probably be quite some time before the other fully trusted him again. It wasn’t as if he were upset with Craig though, he was more upset with himself than anything; he’d put himself in this situation after all, so he knew that it was what he deserved.

“Thanks babe,” Craig leaned down one last time at that, pressing a quick kiss to the others cheek before turning his attention over to Kenny, “You ready?”

The older blonde simply nodded as he stood from his seat, flashing Tweek one of his signature smiles before the two of them turned to make their way out of the room.

“We’ll try not to be too long, okay?” Craig paused one final time as he stood in the doorway, glancing back at the other over his shoulder. He simply looked at the younger quietly for a moment or two, a small, genuine smile coming to his face as he spoke softly,

“I love you, Tweek.”

The blonde couldn’t help but smile back at the words, his heart feeling a bit lighter despite everything that had happened, if only for a moment.

“I love you too, Craig."


	46. Roll the Dice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I hope that you're all doing well! I didn't have the time to update last night, but I'm here now! Not much to really say today, nothing super interesting going on on my end, just busy with college stuff. Writing definitely gives me a nice respite from all of the work, though! Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter, and I'll see you all again in the next one! <3
> 
> SLATS~

This was much more nerve wracking than he initially would have thought.

Craig had never been particularly fond of police, probably due to all of the less than pleasant interactions he’d had with them in the past.

Not to mention that the South Park department specifically was made up of a bunch of corrupt assholes, so there weren’t many people in town, particularly his generation, who actually _liked_ them.

But he reminded himself that this wasn’t the South Park department they were dealing with and, most importantly, he wasn’t doing this for himself.

A quick glance over at Kenny showed that the other didn’t seem to be phased in the slightest, but Craig supposed it only made sense considering how often he’d worked with various law enforcement when they were younger.

Finally, after what felt like hours of anxious waiting, it seemed to be time for their meeting, a woman in uniform coming out to call them into the back room. They stood up and followed inside at that, making their way into a large room filled with desks, similar to the setup at their own station.

Craig glanced around to see several other officers standing about, their idle chatter dying down and all of their attention turning to the two boys as they entered. He couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably in his spot at the feeling of so many pairs of eyes on him, but quickly tried to push it from his mind and just ignore it.

After all, he knew that Kenny was likely going to do most of the talking, but…he still needed to be on his game regardless, because now was not the time to get anxious, especially if they were going to be able to convince these guys to help them.

Just then, a man came through one of the various doors situated around the room, offices Craig assumed, and made his way over to them. He was older, probably mid-50s, early 60s, with laugh lines and dark brown hair that appeared to be graying around the edges.

“Ah, Mr. McCormick,” He smiled in familiarity as he looked at the blonde and stopped in front of the two boys, “Been quite some time since we’ve seen you around here. Thought you swore off the vigilante work?”

“Well, you know me,” Kenny simply shrugged as he flashed a small smirk, casual as ever, “Guess I couldn’t stay away forever. Are you really that surprised?”

“I suppose not,” The man shook his head and chuckled softly before turning his attention over to Craig, sticking out his hand for the other to shake, “And you must be Mr. Tucker, yes? I’m Officer Daniel, we spoke on the phone earlier.”

Craig shook his hand firmly and put on a polite smile, trying his best to hide the sudden bought of nerves he was experiencing, “Yeah, that was me. It’s nice to meet you, thanks again for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice.”

“Well, when you mentioned our dear friend Mr. McCormick here, I knew I shouldn’t keep you two waiting for long,” He winked and laughed jovially, giving Kenny a joking nudge with his elbow before reaching back and taking some sort of notepad out of one of his various pockets, “So, you mentioned earlier that you boys have some sort of tip on some high level crime in your area?”

“Yeah, we have info on a meth ring,” Kenny spoke coolly, but Craig could see the slight fire behind his eyes as he spoke the words, shoving his hands into his pockets as he shifted his weight a bit.

“Meth ring, huh?” The officer repeated the words more to himself than anything, eyes focused down to his notepad as he began scribbling something onto it, “South Park’s had a pretty prominent meth problem for quite some time now. We’ve been working on it for years, but the trail always ends up running cold, so if you have a tip on where it might be coming from, that would be extremely useful for us.”

“Oh we know where it’s coming from, actually,” Craig simply watched quietly as Kenny continued on, his expression souring just the smallest bit behind his calm and collected façade, “It’s coming from Tweek Bros. Coffee, run by Richard Tweak and his wife.”

The room fell jarringly silent at that, followed by several of the officers around the room turning to mutter quietly amongst themselves; Officer Daniel finally looked up from his notepad, gaze surprised as he looked back and forth between the two boys, as if trying to determine the legitimacy of their claim.

“You do realize that this sort of accusation isn’t something to mess around with, right?” One of the other male officers spoke up after a moment, a younger looking guy with a mocking tone and a cocky attitude, “How exactly do you expect us to believe this sort of thing about a family that’s lived in that town since before you were born?”

“Do you really think this is something I would lie about?” Kenny’s words turned sharp as he spat them out at the man, eyes narrowing slightly in a piercing glare. The officer clearly didn’t like being talked back to like this, because his brow furrowed deeply and he quickly opened his mouth to offer some sort of retort, but was cut off before he was able to say anything else.

“Kenny,” Officer Daniel addressed the blonde once more, using his first name for the first time since they’d arrived there as his eyes filled with a questioning, almost concerned light, “Are you…absolutely sure about this?”

“Yes, I am.” The older boy spoke firmly as his gaze met with the man before them, all casualness fading from his features to replace itself with serious intention, “We’ve been given information on this from an inside source, and believe me when I say that I trust this source with _absolute_ certainty. I have no doubt in my mind that what we’ve been told is the truth.”

“Well,” The officer seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing, glancing back down to once again scribble something onto his notepad, “If you really are sure about this, we can go ahead and press for a search warrant to—”

“No, that won’t work!” Craig shouted out the words a bit too suddenly, seeming to startle even himself as everyone in the room’s attention turned solely on him. He paused for a few seconds as he took a deep, calming breath, not wanting to fuck things up by jumping in too suddenly, but it was unusually difficult to keep himself under full control in this sort of situation.

“I mean…I have good reason to believe that the South Park department might be working with them, or at least are making it a point to not do anything about it. If they catch any wind of this there’s a good chance they’ll let Richard know, and he’ll make sure to get rid of all of the evidence before you’re even able to get to him.”

“Then what do you propose we should do?” The Chief eyed him curiously as he leaned back in his spot a bit, arms crossed over his chest, “I’m not saying that I don’t believe you guys, but without actual evidence of this claim that you’re making against them, the only other way to do this would be through a Search Warrant.”

“What if…” The noirette trailed off for a minute as all of the thoughts he’d been compiling came together in his mind, his eyes filling with that same resolve as they stared into the questioning ones of the man before him, “What if I told you that I could get it for you, the evidence. Undeniable proof that what we’re telling you is the truth. Would you be able to do something about it then?”

A heavy silence fell over them once more as they simply looked at one another, the officer’s cautious gaze growing undeniably intrigued as he finally gave a small, casual shrug,

“Alright kid, you’ve got my attention. What exactly did you have in mind?”


	47. Thoughts

“So, how are you doing?”

Tweek looked up from the notes in his hands, gaze shifting over to meet with that of the redhead now sitting at the side of his bed.

Kyle had arrived about an hour ago to keep him company while Craig and Kenny were gone, and he’d been kind enough to not only bring his class notes along, but to also keep Tweek up to date on anything interesting that was going on around town.

The blonde wasn’t sure how long he’d slept for overall, and considering that he didn’t have much concept of time in this place, he was surprised to find out that he’d been gone for about three days now.

“I’m doing better, I think,” Tweek set the papers he’d been holding down into his lap as he thought for a moment, a half-hearted smile coming to his lips, “I’m pretty exhausted most of the time and I have this constant headache that won’t go away, but other than that I’m doing alright. Some moments are better than others, ya know?”

He left out the fact that he wasn’t really able to hold down food at the moment due to extreme nausea, and that at some points his hands would shake so badly that he wasn’t even able to hold anything; he also left out the cold sweats and occasional bouts of irritability, because he knew well enough that this was due to the hospital trying to flush his system, and some things were just better left unsaid.

According to Kyle, most of the other kids at school just assumed he was sick or something, and he was more than happy to keep it that way.

“I mean, well…” The redhead’s eyes seemed to subconsciously shift down to Tweek’s bandaged wrists, but he quickly caught himself as he offered an empathetic smile, “How are you doing…emotionally speaking?”

Tweek knew that Kyle had taken notice of his state the moment he’d walked through the door, and he’d caught the other staring on multiple occasions, yet he appeared to be avoiding bringing it up; probably because he was afraid of crossing some sort of line, Tweek assumed.

“I’m…not really sure,” The words came out slowly as he stared off, trying his best to piece his thoughts together in a way that made sense, “I feel regret, for lot of things. And I feel…angry, and spiteful, and _lost_ , and…”

He trailed off at that, brow furrowing slightly as he let out a deep, defeated-sounding sigh, “I just…don’t really know what to feel right now. I don’t know what to think, or where I’m supposed to go from here. It’s like everything I know is just…”

Tweek cut himself off once more as he breathed out in frustration, hand coming up to rest over his eyes and forehead.

“Hey, it’s okay, Tweek,” Kyle spoke softly as he placed a reassuring hand on the blonde’s forearm, “You don’t need to have it all figured out right now. You just need to take things one day at a time, okay? No one expects anything more than that.

“And I’m sure I speak for Kenny and Craig as well when I say that we’re all here for you, and no matter what’s going on right now, we’ll help you in whatever ways you need. You don’t have to worry about that.”

They simply looked at one another quietly for a moment as Tweek thought over his friend’s words, a small smile coming to his lips as his gaze softened.

In that moment, he was reminded of just how lucky he was to have such genuine people in his life. He’d always been taught that he wasn’t worth anyone’s time, that no one would ever truly care for him, but it was clear to him now that those thoughts simply weren’t true.

_They_ were wrong about him…and he couldn’t have been more thankful for that. He wasn’t alone in this fight anymore, and he never would be again.

“Thank you, Kyle.”

“Anytime Tweek, really,” Kyle trailed off as he glanced to the side, seeming to think over something for a moment before returning the other’s soft smile, “You’ve helped me a lot, ya know? I just want you to know that if you ever need me, I’ve got your back.”

“It’s nice to know I have so many people to count on,” Tweek couldn’t help but chuckle softly; he definitely felt a bit lighter after talking to his friend, and he realized that he was grateful to Craig for having asked him to come by. He would have to thank the other for it later.

They continued to chat idly for a while longer, enjoying one another’s company as they talked about school, life, their relationships and so on. It was a welcomed distraction, as it helped to take Tweek’s mind off of his current situation for a little bit.

He couldn’t help but notice Kyle smiling down at his phone more and more frequently as time went on, and eventually he couldn’t keep his curiosity to himself any longer.

“Is that who I think it is?” He finally asked with a knowing smile, motioning down to the other’s phone when his friend looked at him questioningly.

“Oh, yeah,” Kyle chuckled a bit when he realized what Tweek was asking him, a small, almost embarrassed smile coming to his lips, “We’re having a movie night tonight, so we’re trying to get all of the details figured out. He’s probably going to come pick me up in a little bit.”

“Oooh, what’re you guys gonna watch? Anything good?”

“The new Final Destination movie, I think. I haven’t seen it yet, so,” The redhead shrugged as he put his phone back into his pocket.

“I thought they stopped making those movies?” Tweek raised an eyebrow curiously at the statement, watching as his friend laughed and shook his head.

“Yeah, so did everyone else. Guess they felt like they didn’t quite bleed out the franchise enough.”

“I don’t know how you watch that stuff, man,” Tweek couldn’t help but look at the other in disbelief as he flashed a small smirk, “I made it like halfway through one of those things before I had to turn it off. Just too real for me, ya know? I’m already paranoid enough, the last thing I need to worry about is my shoelace getting caught in an escalator.”

They both laughed in agreement at that, although Tweek left out the fact that this _was_ a scenario he genuinely worried about now. Nothing like seeing the human body squished into a pancake to make you steer clear of something seemingly normal for the rest of your life.

The room fell quiet again as Tweek thumbed through the papers in his hands; he pretty much got the gist of everything, so he was mainly just skimming over them one final time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything important.

Not that he was particularly worried about schoolwork right now, but even it too was a welcome distraction from everything else; anything to keep him out of his head, really. He knew that stressing out at the moment would likely only make things worse, so he figured that at least focusing his attention on something beneficial would be better than nothing.

“Oh, uhm…I wanted to ask you something, by the way.” Kyle spoke up a few moments later, and the slight hesitation in his voice was enough to put Tweek at full attention.

He glanced over at the redhead, brow furrowing ever so slightly as he studied the other’s expression curiously. Kyle currently wasn’t looking at him, and actually seemed to be pretending to read the papers in his own hands, although the look in his eyes made it clear that he was too busy thinking about something to actually pay attention to the written words.

“What is it?” Tweek asked the question a bit cautiously, the sudden shift in atmosphere, although subtle, still managing to put him off.

“I was just wondering, well…” The other trailed off for a moment, seeming to think over what he was about to say, as if trying to choose his words carefully before his eyes met with the curious blues in front of him once more.

“What are your thoughts on Kenny?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm...so remember in the tags how I said that this was going to be one sided Twenny pining? Haha yeah...about that. Looks like this fic ended up taking a different direction than was originally intended ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> I'm sure you guys have felt it coming by now, and I know for sure that some of you have because of the comments that have been being left, but I'm going to confirm now that things are going to end differently than expected. I've been playing with this idea for a long time now, and at this point I know very well where this is going, and it's not something that I can really change. I'm sorry if this goes against what some of you wanted for this fic, but I'm just taking it where I feel that it's meant to go. 
> 
> For all of you that were hoping for something like this, I hope that this will make you excited for what's to come! And for all of you that were not really leaning towards this sort of thing happening, I apologize for not giving you much of a heads up beforehand, but I didn't really know for sure myself either. I hope that all of you will continue to stick around, and I hope that you all enjoyed the new chapter! I love you all and have been so happy to have you along <3 if you decide to fall off now because of where this fic is heading, I completely understand! Just know that I've appreciated you so much along the way!
> 
> SLATS~
> 
> (P.S. This chapter was not beta'd, so I'm sorry for any mistakes it may have!)


	48. Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey everyoooone! ヾ(°∇°*) are you all ready for a new chapter?? I hope so! Thing's are really starting to get rolling now, huh? Any ideas as to what exactly Craig and Kenny are up to? I'd be interested to hear your predictions!
> 
> But before we begin, I wanted to just really quick address some concerns I think arose from the last chapter and clear a few things up. For any of you who were worried that Tweek and Craig are going to break up, don't fret! Creek is, of course, why this fic was made in the first place, and is still going to be the main pairing through to the end. So don't worry if you thought there's a possibility of Tweek leaving Craig for Kenny, because I'm definitely not going to be breaking them up!
> 
> The main reason I made that note at the end of the last chapter was because, when I originally started writing this fic, I'd intended to throw some nods in to some one-side Twenny without actually having it go anywhere significant. But, with the way that this story has ended up progressing, I'm sure some of you have gotten the notion that maybe things are a bit more serious and a bit less one-sided than they first appeared. Trust me, this is a surprise to me as well! Going into this fic, I personally had no idea of it going in this direction, it's just sort of where it ended up over time ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I don't want to give too much away, but to be fair and make sure things are clear to everyone, this fic is for sure going to contain Twenny. To what extent, I'm still not sure yet, but I just wanted to let you all know what you can expect! However, this is first and foremost a Creek fic, so there's no need to be concerned about that changing! 
> 
> Anyways, that's enough rambling for now, just wanted to address that before we continued on. I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter, and I hope you continue to stick around for what's to come!
> 
> SLATS~

"What are your thoughts on Kenny?"

“My…thoughts?” The blonde repeated the words in confusion, head tilted to the side a bit as he gave the other a questioning gaze, “What do you mean?”

“As in, well…ya know, how do you feel about him?”

“Why are you asking?” Tweek pushed on with the questioning, still not understanding what his friend’s aim was, or where exactly he was going with this.

“It’s just…” Kyle looked back and forth between the other’s eyes quietly for a moment, clearly still trying to think his words over carefully before actually saying anything, “He cares about you a lot, you know? And you guys seem really close, so I was just wondering if—”

“Wait wait wait, are you asking if I have _feelings_ for Kenny? Like, romantically??” Tweek couldn’t help but be completely caught off guard when the meaning of his friend’s question finally settled on him, eyes growing wide as he looked at the other.

“Yeah, I guess that is what I’m asking.”

A heavy silence fell over the room as they simply stared at one another, the blonde’s lips opening and closing several times as if he were having difficulty finding the right response.

“I…I’m in love with Craig, Kyle.” Finally he was able to get it out, a sort of defensiveness filling his voice without him even meaning for it to.

“I know that, Tweek. I’m not trying to question your feelings for Craig or anything like that, so please don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just…well, Kenny’s my friend, you know? He has been for a really long time, and as much as he would tell me not to, I can’t really help but to try and look out for him sometimes. I just don’t like to see him hurting, especially because I’ve been in his position before.”

“Hurting…?” Tweek repeated the word more to himself than anything, gaze filled with an almost imploring light as he looked at the other, “Hurting in what way? What do you mean by ‘position’?”

“I _mean_ being in love with someone, but knowing you’ll never have a chance with them.”

That statement seemed to hit Tweek like a train, his mouth hanging open as all of the words completely left him. Craig always used to talk about this stuff when they were younger, but he’d always just brushed him off and called him crazy when he said it.

This was the first time he’d heard something like this in a very long time…and the first time he’d ever actually heard it from somebody else.

“You…you think that…?”

The distress that suddenly fell over Tweek’s features was written clear as day, and Kyle couldn’t help but immediately feel guilty as he tried to backtrack on what he’d said.

“Shit, I’m sorry I shouldn’t be bringing this up right now…just forget I said anything, okay? You don’t need anything else to worry about…

“Besides, this is all just conjecture anyways,” Kyle quickly tried to lighten the mood with an awkward smile and a flippant wave of his hand, “Don’t listen to anything I say. It’s not like I—”

“Has he told you?”

“W…what?” Panic seemed to flash through the redhead’s eyes for a brief second, but he quickly tried to play it off with another smile, although this one managed to look even more fake than the last.

“Kenny, has he told you this? That he…” Tweek trailed off at that as he glanced to the side at nothing in particular; he pretty much knew the answer he was going to get out of the other, but he figured he would give it a shot anyways.

“Tweek, you…know I can’t answer that question.” Kyle came back with the exact thing he was expecting, although the unwillingness to respond was pretty much an answer within itself. That, and the fact that the other had even thought to bring this sort of thing up in the first place.

“Look, just…it’s not important anyways. Seriously, I don’t even know why I brought it up,” The redhead continued to try and play it off as if it were nothing, that same smile coming to his face once more as he shrugged his shoulders, “Kenny would more than likely kill me if he knew. Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m probably wrong anyways, so…”

The awkward tension was becoming a little too much for Tweek to bare, the air around them growing heavier to the point that he could almost feel it weighing down on him. He wanted to press, but he knew that it wasn’t going to get him anywhere at this point, especially with how hard Kyle was now trying to push the whole thing aside.

“Yeah, he probably _would_ kill you,” The blonde chuckled jokingly at that, the corners of his lips turning up into a smirk as he followed along to try and move on from the conversation, “How about I just keep it between us.”

“Thanks Tweek,” Kyle gave a small smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I hope I didn’t offend you or anything.”

“You’re good, man. I’m a big boy, I think I can handle it,” Tweek knew that the words probably didn’t hold much weight due to his current situation, but unlike Craig or Kenny, Kyle didn’t seem to think too deeply on it; probably because he didn’t know the full story.

He was thankful for at least this small bit of trust, even if he felt as though he was underserving of it.

“Oh, he’s here already,” The redhead sounded a bit surprised as he looked down at his phone once again, “I completely lost track of time…” He gave an apologetic smile, eyes still holding slight hints of guilt as he looked at the blonde, “Is it okay if I head out? I can ask him to come back a little later if you want?”

“Don’t worry about it Kyle, really,” Tweek gave a flippant wave of his hand as he put on a soft, reassuring smile, “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be okay. Besides, I’m sure Craig and Kenny will be back soon…go have fun, okay?”

“Thank dude,” The other smiled back gratefully as he stood from his seat, “I’ll come back to see you soon, okay? If you need anything, don’t be afraid to text me.”

They said their goodbye’s before Kyle waved himself off and disappeared into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind himself as he did.

Tweek let out a small sigh as he was left alone once again, gaze falling to his lap as he went into thought. What Kyle had said…was that really true?

He and Kenny had been friends for as long as he could remember; they’d always been pretty close with one another, and they’d ultimately been through a lot together. Kenny had been there for him in times when no one else really had, and always made a point to help cheer him up in whatever ways he could.

Sure the other had always been known to flirt with him, but Tweek had never really taken any of it seriously, because, well…that’s just how Kenny was, right?

Over the years the older boy had become the only other person, aside from Craig, that he felt completely comfortable around. The only other person he truly felt that he could trust, without any doubts or hesitations; the only other person that really knew him and accepted him for who he was.

But what did all of that really mean?

What… _did_ he feel for Kenny?

This was something that he’d never really taken the time to think about before, and now that the question had been put into his mind, he felt almost…reluctant to answer it. Craig and Kenny were the most important people in his life, and he knew that he cared very deeply for both of them.

They were each special to him in different ways and for different reasons; Tweek had always been in love with Craig, so he’d never stopped to even think about anybody else in a romantic way, let alone the guy he considered to be his best friend. But…now that he actually thought over it, he supposed that what he felt for both of them was similar in a lot more ways than he’d ever realized.

He felt safe and comfortable around both of them, and couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without either; it was something that he didn’t even want to consider, the thought alone bringing him a lot of anxiety. He cared about them more than anything, and found himself to be the happiest when in both of their company, which was ultimately the reason as to why he’d made such a big deal out of them getting along.

He trusted each of them fully, and knew that he could count on either of them to be there for him, no matter what. But to Tweek, these things had _always_ been in a romantic context when it came to Craig, and he’d never considered that sort of context with Kenny.

He supposed that, when it came down to it, he loved both of them more than he could ever even begin to express. But did this mean that he was _in love_ with Kenny, in the same way that he was in love with Craig?

And if he was…then what exactly did that mean for him? What did it mean for _all_ of them?

The fact that he couldn’t be sure of the answer was a scary thought. Aside from the few times they’d really fought with one another, it had always been him and Craig against the world; he loved the other more than anything, and knew that he wanted to be by his side forever.

Tweek didn’t want to let anything come between their relationship, but…he realized that he could say those same things about his relationship with Kenny. Was it just because they were so close? Because they were such good friends, because they’d known each other for so long?

He wanted the answer to be yes, but the more he asked himself this question, the more he began to think that things may not have been so simple.


	49. Unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope that you're all doing well, and that you're ready for the new chapter! Well, chatper(s), actually. Two for the price of one! Originally I was going to post these separately, as in wait until next week to post the second one, but I didn't want to make you guys have to wait for it. These both take place in the same scene, so I figured it would make more sense to just post them together. It would be a bit too long to post in just one chapter though, so I'm going to keep it split up into two for easier reading ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ hope you don't mind! Not much to say this week, so I'll let you get right into it! And as always, thank you all so much for sticking by <3
> 
> SLATS~

Craig made his way through the halls, heading back to where he knew his boyfriend to be.

His nerves were still a bit shot, but the meeting had actually went a lot better than he’d anticipated; there had been a bit of pushback at first, but after some convincing, and some big help from Kenny, he was ultimately able to get the department to agree to his plan.

Now all he had to do was wait for the right time…and keep Tweek from finding out until it was all over and done with. The last thing he wanted was to cause the other anymore stress, and he knew that Tweek would freak if he knew what he and Kenny were up to.

He opened the door a bit to poke his head in, finding his boyfriend sitting on the bed watching the TV that was mounted in the far corner of the room.

“Oh, hey Craig,” Tweek turned the volume down once he noticed him there, smiling at the other as he made his way inside.

“Hey babe,” Craig sat on the edge of the bed, hand resting on the younger’s knee as he gave a soft smile in return, “How are you feeling?”

“Good, I think. Better.” Tweek nodded as if to affirm the statement to himself before continuing, “Thanks for inviting Kyle over, by the way. It was nice getting to see him for a little while.”

“Of course,” The noirette leaned forward to press a quick kiss to the other’s cheek, “I’m glad he was able to keep you company while I was gone.”

Tweek wanted to ask where Craig had been running off to, but it was almost as if he could just feel that his questions would be in vain, like he could sense it. The other was keeping very hush hush about whatever it was he was up to, and he knew that if Craig wanted him to know what was going on, he would have said something by now.

So instead he decided to hold off on the questioning, because he knew well enough that if it was important, his boyfriend would tell him whenever he felt the time was ready.

They chatted idly for a bit longer before the room fell quiet, the soft sound of the overhead TV filling the small space around them. Craig noticed that Tweek seemed a bit distracted, as if there was something on his mind; he would occasionally lull in their conversation, gaze trailing off as he seemed to fall into thought.

His eyes were currently fixed to the screen as an infomercial rattled off about some new “miracle product,” but it was clear to Craig that he wasn’t actually paying attention to it. His mind was clearly elsewhere, and the noirette couldn’t help as his curiosity finally got the better of him.

“Is everything okay, Tweek? You seem kind of out of it…are you sure you’re feeling alright?” He asked after another moment or so of simply watching the other, expression tinged with worry as he waited for his reaction.

The younger seemed to snap back at that, surprised eyes meeting with Craig’s own, as if he hadn’t even noticed that he’d zoned out.

“Oh, yeah everything’s fine, it’s just…” He trailed off for a moment, gaze falling down to his lap as he began fidgeting with the blanket there, “When Kyle was here, he brought something up to me and I just…I guess I haven’t really been able to get it off my mind.”

“Kyle?” Craig asked curiously as he eyed the other, “What did he say?”

“He, uhm…” The blonde trailed off as his eyes fell to his lap, a sort of apprehensive look making its way onto his face, “It’s not important really, forget I—”

“Tweek.” Craig’s voice grew serious, hand reaching to rest on the other’s cheek and making it so that their gazes met, “If something’s bothering you, I want to help, but I can’t if you don’t give me the chance to. I need you to be able to talk to me…please.”

They looked at one another for a long moment, the clear concern in the noirette’s eyes making Tweek’s heart sink. He couldn’t help but feel guilty, knowing full well he had a tendency to brush the other off when all he wanted to do was help.

It wasn’t as if he did it intentionally though, it was rather that he didn’t want to push all of his problems off on Craig; he supposed that after all these years, he still had trouble feeling as though his emotions were a burden to others. Not to mention that this particular topic was…uncomfortable, to say the least.

But this wasn’t fair to Craig, and he knew that trying to keep his feelings to himself wasn’t going to do either of them any good right now.

So finally he let out a deep sigh, his own hand coming to rest atop Craig’s as he grasped it gently, “He…told me that he thinks Kenny has feelings for me.”

Craig seemed to focus intently at the words as he studied the other’s expression closely. For some reason, he had a feeling this was what it was going to relate to; he could sense this sort of conversation coming, but he could feel that Tweek was still trying to keep something about it to himself.

“And?” He gently tried to urge the other to continue, watching as Tweek’s gaze once again fell to his lap as their hands returned to their sides.

“And, he…asked me how I felt about Kenny, too.”

There it was. The exact thing he was expecting to hear.

He knew that he was going to have to choose his next words very carefully, otherwise Tweek would likely misunderstand him and the conversation would go downhill very fast.

“And what did you say?” He continued on, resting his hand on the other’s knee once more in what he hoped came off as a reassuring gesture.

“I didn’t answer him.” Tweek spoke the words flatly, his brow furrowing ever so slightly as he continued to stare down at his hands, fingers going right back to fidgeting with the blanket beneath them. Craig recognized this well enough as one of his nervous ticks, something he would do to try and distract himself when he was feeling uneasy.

Wanting to keep the conversation going, he gently grasped one of the younger’s hands within his own, the action causing Tweek to glance up at him with a curious expression.

“Tweek…you know that I love you, right?”

The words made the other’s eyes fill with a confused, almost cautious light as he gave a small nod, returning the gesture by giving Craig’s hand a soft squeeze.

“Of course I do, Craig…” He simply decided to let his boyfriend continue instead of questioning why he was asking in the first place, as he could feel that the other still had something he wanted to say.

“And I know that you love me…I want you to know that I would never doubt that. So I really need you to just listen and hear me out on what I have to say, okay?” Craig chose his words carefully, trying to make sure that it was absolutely clear he meant nothing bad by where this conversation was about to go.

“You’re kind of worrying me, but okay…you’ve got my attention.”

“I’ve known that Kenny’s had feelings for you for years, and I know that you know this, too. Back then I always let the jealously get to me, because I was so afraid that he would just swoop in and take you away from me. I guess I was still really insecure about the relationship and myself, and I felt threatened by him because, well…I guess I knew that you felt something for him, too.”

“Wait, w-why do you—?”

He could see Tweek’s eyes begin to grow panicked at the words, so he squeezed the younger’s leg reassuringly with his free hand, effectively stopping any protests he was about to make.

“Tweek,” Craig’s voice softened as he gave the other a small, knowing smile, “He’s the only other person that you let get as close to you as I do…I think that in itself says enough.”

The apprehension was still heavy in the blue eyes of the boy before him, and Craig knew that if he was to get Tweek to truly listen to what he had to say without any hang ups, he was going to have to get him to come to his own realizations.

“Let me ask you something, honey…and I want you to be honest. If not for me, than for yourself.”

Craig looked deeply into the other’s eyes at that, searching them for the answers he knew to be there, “If I were to ask you, right now, if you think you might have feelings for Kenny, would you be able to tell me no? Without any doubts in your mind?”

“I…” Tweek’s lips opened and closed wordlessly as he stared at his boyfriend, the question seeming to dry up all of the words in his mouth.

How exactly was he supposed to respond to that?

This was obviously something that had been on his own mind, but he didn’t expect this sort of conversation to come from Craig, at least not this suddenly. He supposed that it was a pretty simple question when it came down to it, but…he still wasn’t sure if he was truly ready to answer it yet.


	50. Realizations

“Craig…why are you asking me all of this?”

It was clear that he was avoiding the question, but the noirette didn’t seem to mind; in fact, it seemed as if he were expecting that sort of reaction, anyways.

“Because I’ve come to some realizations of my own recently. This is something I think I’ve known for a while now, but I never really wanted to face it…with everything that’s happened though, I’ve really been thinking about all of this, and well…”

Craig paused for a moment, but the confusion in Tweek’s eyes was a clear indication that he still wasn’t following.

“How do I put this?” Craig let out a soft sigh as he pulled his hat off to run his fingers loosely through his hair, continuing to look back and forth between the other’s eyes, “Kenny…is the only other person I trust to take care of you. I have no doubt in my mind that if anything were to ever happen, he would protect you with his life in the same way that I would.

“And I know how much he really cares for you, how much you mean to him…I always used to think that he was just attracted to you, or that he wanted to prove something to me. I felt like he was always trying to show me that if he really wanted to, he could just take you for himself.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you, I just didn’t trust _him_ , and because of my own insecurities I didn’t feel comfortable with him hanging around you or with the thought of the two of you being alone together. It was like I thought that if he got you alone, he would just work his magic on you or something, and then you’d be gone.”

Craig chuckled softly and shook his head at the thought, realizing just how ridiculous it all sounded in retrospect. His smile faded though as his gaze locked with Tweek’s once more, eyes swimming with a calm thoughtfulness, “But I was being selfish, and…I don’t want to be selfish anymore.”

“What…do you mean?” Tweek’s voice came out a lot smaller than he’d intended it to, mind racing as he tried to piece together everything Craig was telling him.

What exactly was he trying to suggest?

The younger already had an idea of where this was all going, but…he needed to hear it first, just to be sure.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that…” The older boy spoke slowly with short pauses between his words, as if he were still trying to figure out how to properly say what was on his mind, “If you have feelings for Kenny…then I’m okay with that. And, if you wanted to…act on those feelings, then…I won’t stop you. Actually, uhm…I’d encourage you to.”

“You…what?” Tweek simply stared at the other in shock for a moment, his mind seeming to have trouble comprehending everything that he’d just heard, “Craig, w…what are you saying? W-why would I…?”

He simply trailed off, no longer able to find the right words to express what he was thinking. A whirlwind of emotions was churning within him as he thought everything over, too many to focus on any one in particular. He wasn’t even sure what he was feeling anymore…or what he was supposed to say.

Sensing his distress, Craig immediately switched up his tactics, holding the other’s hand tightly to try and calm him down, “I’m not trying to work you up Tweek…I don’t want you to worry yourself over this, okay?

“I just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to be afraid to be honest with yourself anymore, and that I’ll be by your side no matter what. Try not to think too hard on it, alright? The last thing I want is to stress you out anymore.”

Tweek made a face at that, clearly still unsure of how he was supposed to react to any of this, but he didn’t try to push any further; whether or not this was because he didn’t know how, or because he simply didn’t want to, Craig didn’t know.

“Okay…” Tweek let out a soft sigh after a moment, a sheepish smile coming to his lips as he shrugged, “I appreciate the openness, at least.

“I guess that means that…I should be open with you too, huh?”

Blue eyes trailed down to his lap as he fidgeted with his hands, trying his best to piece his thoughts into something coherent.

“I…don’t really know what I’m feeling, to be honest. I’ve never actually stopped to think about my relationship with Kenny before, you know? You and I have been together for years, Craig, I’ve never even considered thinking of someone else like that.

“And now that all of these things are being brought to my attention, by you _and_ Kyle, I just feel…confused. Everything you said makes sense to me, but…it’s just so far out of what I know, that I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

Craig held Tweek’s hand gently as he spoke, gaze softening as he listened to the blonde open up about his thoughts, “Well…you’re never going to know if you don’t allow yourself to find out, right? I just want you to know that you don’t have to try and deny anything to yourself for my sake.”

He placed his hand on the other’s cheek, rubbing his thumb softly back and forth as he gave a small smile, “I love you, Tweek. And I will _always_ love you. I just needed to make sure you knew that.”

“I love you too, Craig,” Tweek took the older boy’s hand in his own, moving it to press his lips to the inside of the other’s palm in a soft kiss, “…thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

Those simple words held such genuineness to them that Tweek couldn’t help but tear up a bit; he quickly wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand to try and hide it, but Craig noticed almost instantly.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” He asked quietly as he watched the other cover the top half of his face with his hands, “Why are you crying?”

Tweek chuckled weakly, a small smile coming to his lips as Craig’s fingers curled around his own, gently pulling his hands away from his eyes, “Nothing’s wrong, I’m just…feeling emotional, I guess.”

He looked into the other’s eyes at that, tears beginning to slide down his cheeks beyond his control, “I’m just…r-really lucky to have you, Craig…th-thank you…”

The older boy simply watched him for a moment before smiling sweetly and pulling Tweek into his arms, “Come here…”

He could feel his boyfriend clutch tightly onto the back of his jacket as he held him close, fingers coming up to comb gently through his hair.

“I’m the one who’s lucky…” He whispered softly as Tweek buried his face into his chest, allowing his emotions to run freely.

It was cathartic, in a way, just being together like this…it brought a sense of warmth and normalcy to a life that had gone so far off the rails in such a short amount of time. Through all of the chaos, Craig’s arms around him made him feel stable and safe. It made him feel like everything was going to be okay.

They stayed like that for a long while, a comfortable quiet falling over the room; Craig wished that he could stay longer, all night even, but as he glanced at the clock on the wall, he realized that it was about time for him to go.

“It’s getting late,” He smiled softly as Tweek pulled back to look at him, his hands lingering for a moment longer before pulling away completely, “I should let you get some rest.”

Craig stood from his spot and stretched before leaning down to press a small kiss to the younger’s forehead, “I’ll be back first thing in the morning, okay?”

He turned to leave at that, but was brought to a stop at the doorway when the other called out to him, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

“Craig, wait.”

Tweek’s tone was an odd mix of serious and anxious, and as Craig turned back to look at him, he realized the other’s expression had fallen as he stared down into his lap with worried eyes.

“Whatever…it is that you guys are up to, just…” The younger trailed off for a moment before slowly raising his gaze to meet with Craig’s own, his eyes swimming with apprehension, “Promise me you’ll be safe, o-okay?”

They simply stared at one another from across the room, and it took Craig a few seconds to even realize what Tweek was talking about. Had he really been able to pick up on it that easily? He thought he’d been doing such a good job of hiding it, but…

The noirette slowly approached the side of the bed once more, a guilty feeling sinking into his chest as he looked down at the other. He looked…scared.

Craig reached up to cup Tweek’s face in his hands as he leaned down, their lips connecting in a deep, passionate kiss. Those mere moments felt as though they lasted an eternity, the raw emotions of love and fear mixing together and leaving the younger in a lightheaded state from the mere power of it all.

He let out a shaky breath as Craig finally pulled back, their foreheads connecting as they gazed deeply into one another’s eyes.

“I promise.”


	51. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo everyone!~ I hope that you're all doing well! I'm officially on break for Thanksgiving, so I am 100% enjoying not having to stress or worry about classes for the next few days. For those of you who are on break as well, I hope that you're enjoying it as much as I am! I know this chapter's a bit earlier than I would normally post, but let me tell you, I am not at all over exaggerating when I say that I am so, soooooooo excited to finally be able to post this! 
> 
> This is one of those scenes that I knew already and that was planned out basically before I even sat down to write this fic, so I can't even begin to express how psyched I am to finally share it with all of you! Now this chapter does contain some serious subject matter, but it's not really anything you guys haven't seen already, I just wanted to give you a heads up so you know what you're getting into. Also, this chapter is longer than the norm, but it was important to me to have this scene happen all at once. Please please let me know your thoughts on it if you want, because I really am just so excited to finally put this chapter out, so I'd love to know what you all think! 
> 
> Oh, and for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving with your families, I hope that you all enjoy a nice and stress free day tomorrow! Or if you're like me and aren't able to make it home this year, I hope that you still enjoy your day tomorrow and are able to relax or do something you enjoy! And without further ado, here is the newest chapter of "The Book of Love!" <3
> 
> SLATS~

It was time.

All of the planning, all of the preparation, now was when it was all going to come to fruition.

As Craig stepped up to the building and looked through the windows, he saw that there didn’t appear to be any customers inside; just as expected. His hand hovered over the handle as he thought everything over, anticipation and anxiety swirling within his stomach.

He’d been in this place so many times over the years that it had grown comfortably familiar to him…but not anymore. He had no idea how this was going to go, and dealing with something this unpredictable meant that he had to be prepared for anything.

As soon as he opened this door, Craig knew that there was going to be no going back.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he gathered all of his resolve, the crisp, cold air stinging at his lungs. He pushed the door open at that, the soft chime of the bell overhead suddenly much louder than he remembered it being.

He scanned his surroundings carefully, gaze finally coming to land on the exact man he was expecting to see. Their eyes met, and all of Craig’s nerves seemed to fade into gray, drowned out by feelings of anger and disdain; he was reminded all over again of why exactly he was here, and why this was all so important.

“Well hi there Craig! Haven’t seen you in a while, how have you been?” The cheery smile that was flashed at him as he stepped up to the counter was absolutely sickening.

“Could be better,” He shoved his hands into his pockets as he tried his best to keep his cool, motioning vaguely around the room, “And what about you, Richard? How’s the uhm…shop doing?”

Craig had never addressed him by his first name before this; even though he’d never particularly liked the older man, he’d always referred to him as Mr. Tweak out of respect. What little ounce he’d had left was now long dead and buried, though.

“Business is booming as ever! Can I get you anything? If you’re looking for Tweek, he’s not in right now.” The way he’d said those words was just so normal that Craig could almost feel his eye twitch.

Did he even know that Tweek was gone?

“Hm…and do you know where I can find him? I haven’t seen him in a few days.” He decided to play along for a moment, curious as to what sort of bullshit answer the other would give him.

“Oh he’s around, I’m sure. Probably holed up in his room back home, you know how he gets sometimes.”

Was he _serious_?

Craig clenched his fist tightly from within his jacket pocket, teeth grinding together as he tried to calm himself down. And that was when it dawned on him…

Kenny said that Tweek had lost a lot of blood when he found him, and he sure as hell hadn’t stopped to clean it up before rushing to the hospital. It’d been almost a week now, there was _no way_ Richard hadn’t seen it. What exactly did he think had happened?

Was it possible that he thought…Tweek was dead? Was he trying to cover it up?

“I take it you have no idea that he’s in the hospital, then.” It was more of a statement than a question, Craig’s calm and collected demeanor in complete contrast to the rage now burning within his chest.

“The hospital? Did something happen?”

The noirette simply stared at him blankly for a moment before turning on his heel, beginning to take slow, idle steps around the room.

“Let me ask you something, Richard,” He paused to drum his fingers against one of the tables, casting a sideward glance at the man over his shoulder, “When you came into the shop Monday morning, did you notice anything strange? Anything…out of place?”

There was a short pause before Richard spoke up again, his cheery tone tinged with a hint of caution, “I can’t say that I did…why are you asking, Craig?”

“Oh, no reason in particular, really,” Craig turned to face him once more, hands braced on the table now behind him as he leaned back casually.

“You know Richard, I’ve learned a few things over the past few days…quite a lot, actually. Like, say…how you’ve kept this little business of yours running for so long. How you always manage to keep your customers coming back.”

He could see the other’s eyes narrow suspiciously at the comment, but he quickly seemed to recover and try to play it off, “Well, everyone knows that the smooth, mild flavor in every cup of Tweek Bro’s coffee is like—”

“ _Don’t give me that shit!_ ” Craig was back across the room before he could even finish, hands slamming down on the counter and causing the other to jump from how sudden it was. He glared intensely at the man before him, patience reaching its end as his voice dropped dangerously low, “Tweek told me all about your little secret…he told me _everything_.

“How you’ve been pushing your _meth_ onto all of your customers, onto _him_ for _years_!” Craig shoved a display off of the counter in a fit of rage, various cups and bags of coffee all flying to the floor in a loud crash.

“I’m not going to let you get away with this,” The noirette growled through gritted teeth, his hands shaking in anger, “You’re going to _rot_ for what you did to him!”

The room fell into a heavy silence as they simply stared one another down for a long moment; and then, just like that, everything changed.

“And what exactly are you going to do about it, hm?”

The absolute coldness of those words struck him to his very core, the other’s demeanor shifting so suddenly that he couldn’t help but be taken aback by it. The atmosphere in the room grew unbearably heavy, Richard’s indifferent gaze seeming to pierce into him as he straightened back up in his spot.

“You think you’re just going to come in here, take away the empire my wife and I spent _years_ to build, just like that? Go ahead Craig, tell me how you plan to do it.” The smirk that spread across the man’s face sent a chill down his spine, and for a moment he wasn’t even sure how to react.

He regained his composure a second later and opened his mouth to offer a retort, but Richard cut him off before he was able; the next words that came out of that man’s mouth made his blood run cold.

“You wanna know something, Craig?” The other leaned forward at that as he braced his hands on the countertop, his voice dropping to a near whisper, “When I came in here, and I found all of that blood, I was almost disappointed I didn’t find his body there. But that’s all he’s ever been…one big _disappointment_.”

Craig’s eyes went wide at the statement, his mouth hanging open as his stomach churned with shock and disgust. He simply stared at the other in disbelief for a moment, all of the words seeming to dry up in his mouth, and it took him a couple of tries before he was actually able to get anything out.

“He…he’s your _son!_ ”

“He’s a pain in my ass is what he is. But no matter how much we gave him, we just couldn’t get that little fucker to O.D.” The sickening grin that came to his lips as he said the last part made Craig stagger back a bit as the meaning of those words sank in.

That… _that’s what he was trying to do?!_ He was trying to force Tweek to _overdose!?_

Craig couldn’t believe what he was hearing, his entire body beginning to shake in fury as he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles started to turn white.

“But I guess none of that really matters anymore,” Richard shrugged nonchalantly as one of his hands slowly dipped behind the counter, seeming to reach for something out of Craig’s sight, “Now that he knows the truth, I can’t really trust him to keep it to himself, now can I? So…looks like he won’t be around for much longer.”

Before Craig could even react, something was held up directly in front of his face; it took him only a split second to realize that he was now staring down the barrel of .44 Magnum.

“And neither will you.”

A rush of adrenaline hit Craig all at once as his fight-or-flight response tried to kick in, every fiber of his being practically screaming at him to _run_. Yet he remained completely still, feet planted firmly on the floor as all of his shaking came to a stop.

He had to stay calm… _he had to stay calm…_

Green eyes narrowed as he stared down the man before him, a calmness washing over his features that was unbefitting of his current situation.

“People will know.” He spoke the words firmly, the lack of fear in his voice seeming to peak the older man’s interest as he tilted his head and smirked once more, an incredulous look in his eyes.

“And who exactly do you think’s going to care if I off you, huh? You and Tweek are _nothing_ to this town. A punk-ass kid with a record of assault and his little freak boyfriend who does nothing but cause trouble for everyone…trying to convince yourself that you’re ever going to be anything more than that really just goes to show how delusional you are.”

Assault…? Craig simply blinked as he thought over the word, a feeling of reluctance rising within his chest. Sure he’d been known to pick fights in the past, and he’d done some less than reputable things over the years, but he’d never really gotten into any _serious_ legal trouble over it. There was only one time he’d gotten close to that, but that was when…

Wait.

His eyes grew wide as a wave of shock hit him all over again, a huge lump feeling as though it had formed in his throat as he tried to swallow hard. The other seemed to catch onto this instantly, smirking at Craig with a knowing gaze. But…but that was impossible! No one should have known about that, there was no way that he could have found out!

“H-how do you—?” He went to ask the one question that was swimming through his mind as he stared at the man dubiously, but as much as he wanted to force the words out, they just wouldn’t come to him in time.

“Oh I know a lot of things. About South Park, the people in it…about _you_. You see Craig, the department and I have a bit of a deal here. I pay them, they stay off my case and keep me in the know about everything going on in this little town of ours…which includes that little _incident_ you got into a couple years back.”

The gun was lowered a bit, but that did nothing to alleviate the rapid increase of Craig’s heartrate as those last words settled on him. _Shit_ , this…this wasn’t supposed to happen. _He wasn’t supposed to know this!_

“Does Tweek know? I bet you never told him, huh?” Richard’s sadistic grin only widened as he continued, the smugness in his voice making the younger’s blood boil, “You almost went to jail that night, didn’t you? Too bad your little McCormick friend chose not to press charges…would’ve saved me a hell of a lot of trouble.”

“ _Shut up!!_ ” Craig shouted the words so loudly that his voice bounced off of the walls, his hands balled tightly into fists as his eyes filled with panicked anger, “You don’t understand, things are _different_ now!”

“But are they really? Because the truth is, you can’t control your anger sometimes, can you _Craig_? Got a few loose screws up in that head of yours,” The man chuckled lowly, tapping the side of his head with the gun for emphasis, “And maybe, one day, you’ll snap and take that anger out on Tweek, too. Do you think about that a lot? Think you’ll be able to _stop yourself_?”

He lowered the gun fully onto the counter at that, relishing in the look of horror that fell over Craig’s features as he spoke, “Maybe I’ll keep you alive so I can stick around and see it happen for myself, huh? Wouldn’t want to miss such a beautiful opportunity…the one person he trusts most, breaking down and beating the absolute shit out of him. We managed to fuck him up so much that he’d probably think he deserved it, too.”

“You’re _wrong_ , I-I would _never_ do that to him!” Craig’s calm and collected mask was completely shattered by this point, his chest tightening with a cacophony of emotions he couldn’t even begin to describe, “I’m not going to let you hurt him anymore, I’m going to tell _everyone_ what you’re doing here!”

“I’ll have this place cleared out before you ever get the chance. Then it’ll be my word against yours…and who do you think they’re going to believe? Two well respected members of the community that have been here for years? Or you,” Richard leaned forward over the counter as he glared sharply at the other, the smirk now completely gone from his lips, “Some _worthless_ ticking time bomb of a kid with no future.”

They looked at one another in silence for several long moments, time seeming to feel as though it had slowed to a stop around them. Craig’s gaze slid to the floor, his shoulders sinking as his expression fell blank.

“You’re right…people probably wouldn’t believe my word over yours…”

The quiet defeat in his voice seemed to bring Richard a great sense of elation; the older man crossed his arms as he looked down on the noirette, an almost proud grin coming to his lips at his apparent victory.

Perfect; he was exactly where they wanted him.

Craig suddenly stood tall as his eyes deadlocked with those of the man before him, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he spoke flatly,

“It’s a good thing they don’t have to.”

“What are you—”

The loud crash of busted open doors and dozens of heavy, thumping footsteps rushing into the building was enough to drown out anything else the other could have said in that moment.

Craig watched the myriad of emotions that flashed across Richard’s face as his now wide eyes darted around their surroundings; confusion, fear, and finally, a furious understanding of how drastically their situations had just changed.

They were completely surrounded by the cops that now filled the room, all of their guns pointed directly at the very man who had just given himself up as a high-level criminal.

Slowly Craig pulled down the zipper of his jacket to reveal the wires that had been hidden beneath it, his gaze narrowing defiantly and a devious smirk spreading across his face at the look of astonishment and absolute wrath the other gave him.

“Well done Mr. Tucker,” The chief of police stepped out from the crowd at that and made his way over to the younger, placing a hand on his shoulder as he nodded, “You know, I wasn’t sure this whole thing was going to work when you told me, but I have to admit that I was wrong. You did good.”

His voice turned serious as his attention honed in on Richard, tilting his head to motion in the man’s direction as he called out to two of the officers behind him, “Now cuff him.”

“You…y-you can’t do this!!” Richard shouted out as the officers advanced on him, quickly immobilizing his arms before the satisfying ‘click’ of the handcuffs sounded through the room, “Do you know who I am?! You have no—”

“Hey boss, you may want to take a look at this,” A female officer emerged from the doorway next to the counter, holding up a small square package wrapped up in brown paper and white tape, “We found it in a metal cabinet in the back room. And there’s plenty more with this came from.”

“Great work, that and this confession will be enough to put this fucker away for a long, long time.” Chief Daniel patted Craig firmly on the back before making his way to the back room, him and several of the other officers in the room disappearing through the door.

The noirette crossed his arms over his chest and watched Richard struggle against his constraints and shout empty threats as the officers forced him to head towards the entrance, their hold on him too strong to be able to break free from.

“Wait.”

A familiar voice broke through the room right as they’d reached the door, causing the officers to stop in their tracks. Craig followed the source of the noise to see that Kenny had found his way into the building as well; he knew that the other had been with the other officers the whole time, listening to everything from afar.

Hands shoved into his pockets, Kenny slowly took the few steps over to them and stopped once he and Richard were standing face to face; the man looked at him with disdain and scoffed before letting out a condescending laugh.

“I should have known you’d be in on this. I’ve seen the way you’ve always looked at Tweek, you little prick…” His voice dropped to barely a whisper as he leaned in as far as he could against the restraints, making it so that only Kenny could hear his next words as he flashed a sickening smile, “Let me guess, now that you’ve _saved_ him, you’re hoping he’ll open his pretty little legs for you and let you fuck him like the disgusting _slut_ that he is.”

Kenny simply stared at him blankly, his expression not seeming to change in the slightest and leaving his thoughts completely unreadable. Ignoring everything that the other had said and without breaking eye contact, the blonde spoke flatly to one of the officers currently detaining him, “Make sure that you put ‘resisting arrest’ on record.”

Richard clearly didn’t understand what this meant, mouth opening to express his confusion, “What do you—”

Without missing a beat Kenny drew his arm back and smashed his fist right into Richard’s face, his knuckles connecting so hard that a nauseating _crack_ reverberated off of the walls; he pulled back to reveal the man’s now broken nose, blood immediately beginning to spew down his mouth and chin like a faucet.

Kenny let out a few heavy, seething breaths as he took a step back, his shoulders rising and falling for a moment as he shook out his hand and glared dangerously at the now unconscious man before him, his voice filled with venom as he spat out, “Not get this piece of shit out of my sight.”

The officers took one quick glance at one another before dragging Richard out of the building without a word, leaving Craig and Kenny as the only ones left in the room.

The noirette couldn’t help but be a bit stunned by the scene that had just unfolded before him, his lips parted wordlessly for a moment before he quickly gathered himself back up and made his way over to the other.

“Dude, are you okay?” His voice was laced with concern as he stepped up to the blonde, glancing down at his blood-stained knuckles, “That really sounded like it hurt.”

“I’m fine.” Kenny said indifferently as he wiped the back of his hand off on the front of his parka, leaving dark red smears over the orange fabric.

“Wait, your coat—”

“It’s seen worse.” He spoke so flatly that Craig couldn’t help but be a bit surprised, his words holding a sort of coldness to them.

“What…did he say to you?” Craig hadn’t been able to hear it from where he’d been standing, but whatever Richard had leaned in and whispered to the other had obviously dug deep. It could have been any number of things, really…an attempt to get under his skin in one desperate, final laugh.

Kenny continued to stare off blankly for a few moments before his eyes finally came to meet with those of his friend, his hostile demeanor seeming to calm a bit as he gave a small shake of his head, “It’s not important. What’s important is that that fucker rots behind bars for the rest of his life…even though it’s more than he deserves.”

The dark look that flashed through his eyes as he said the last part sent a chill down Craig’s spine, mainly because he could practically read the other’s thoughts written on his features. In that moment, he realized that had no one else been around, Kenny likely would have killed Richard with his own hands…and he couldn’t blame him.

Because if he could have, Craig knew that he would have done the same exact thing.


	52. The Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi everyone!! I hope that you're all doing well! Boy have I been busy, with the end of the semester coming up it's just work after work after work. Being able to work on this fic offers me a bit of respite in these trying times ( •́ω•̩̥̀ ) Thanks so much to all of you who commented on the last chapter btw, I really enjoyed reading all of your thoughts! Even if I don't comment back on all of them, I want you all to know that it really does mean soooo so much to me to see what you all think! Every time I get an email saying I got a new comment I get really happy, so thank you for that~
> 
> Not much to say about this chapter either, except that if you were wondering what exactly it was Richard was referring to in the last chapter, you'll be getting your answer now! So without further ado, I hope that you all enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Oh and I have a p.s. thing because I really need to rant rn, BUT DON'T READ THIS NEXT PART IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE NEW EPISODE AND DON'T WANT SPOILERS!! Wait until you're able to watch it first, and then come back and read if you want, because I don't want to unintentionally spoil anyone!
> 
> Spoiler Rant in 3...
> 
>  
> 
> 2...
> 
>  
> 
> 1...
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>  
> 
> Okay, can I just say how absolutely LIVID I am with Craig right now?? Your boyfriend HAS ACTUAL ANXIETY you douche, and now you just want to completely ignore him and your reason is that he uhm, idk, WANTS YOUR ATTENTION?? GOD I am shaking I am so mad with him right now (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻ you better get your act together boy, because if I was Tweek I'd give a big ol' ╭∩╮(︶︿︶)╭∩╮ namaste and waltz my ass right over to Kenny's place ¯\\_( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯  
> Alright, rant over, just had to get that out lol
> 
>  
> 
> ==========================================================================

The ride back was long and quiet, the soft hum of the engine filling the space around the two boys as they mostly kept to themselves, taking the time to think over everything that had just happened.

Kenny’s Impala smelled of old cigarettes and weed, but it wasn’t an altogether unpleasant smell; in fact, it was one that Craig had grown rather used to over recent years. He leaned with his arm against the door as he stared out the window, the cool night air whipping through his hair and helping to calm his adrenaline-shot nerves.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before they finally made it to his house, the car switching into park as they stopped on the side of the road. Yet they both continued to sit there, neither seeming particularly interested in breaking from the comforting atmosphere just yet.

“Hey, Craig?” Kenny was the first to break the silence after what felt like an eternity, his voice soft as he glanced towards the passenger seat, “What Richard said back there, about…what happened before…I don’t want you to worry about that, okay?”

Craig didn’t make any indication that he’d heard what the other had said, but Kenny knew well enough that he was listening, so he continued on anyways, “You know that I don’t hold that against you or anything…that sort of stuff’s behind us now.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.” Craig responded after a few seconds of nothing, although his gaze stayed locked out into the night sky, as if he were avoiding looking at the other.

“Dude, I told you back then that it’s fine…I _was_ being a major asshole, it’s not like I didn’t deserve it. Plus we were both pretty drunk, so I don’t—”

“Stop trying to justify what I did,” Finally turning his attention to the other, Craig flashed him a guilty, half-hearted smile, “I fucked up, that’s all there was too it. And you could have really fucked me over that night, but you chose not to…and after I attacked you like that, I can’t say I would have blamed you if you _had_ decided to press charges.”

“I told you, Craig, I had no reason to. And I knew that what I said to you was wrong…if I would’ve been in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing...I can’t blame you for that, and you shouldn’t blame yourself, either.”

That night…Craig could remember the absolute terror he’d felt when the cops had showed up at the house. He’d had run-ins with police before, but…never like that. He thought for sure that his life was going to be over, that he was going to be taken away and he’d never get to see Tweek again.

And all because Kenny couldn’t keep his mouth shut, and _he_ couldn’t control his temper.

 

* * *

 

It happened a few summers ago, they were both sixteen at the time. Tweek had been throwing around the idea of wanting the two of them to get along better for a while, but that was the first night he’d actually forced them to hang out alone together.

The younger had made plans for all three of them to hang out at Kenny’s place, and after he knew for sure that Craig had gotten there, he’d quickly texted them both saying that he couldn’t make it with some excuse about staying late at the shop.

He continued on to tell each of them that he wanted them to hang out without him anyways and get to know each other better, knowing full well that neither of them could say no to him. Sneaky Tweek…little did he know that that night wasn’t going to go anywhere near as well as he’d hoped it would. In fact, it went quite the opposite. It was probably for the best that they never told him about it, because he more than likely would have blamed himself for what had happened.

At first it hadn’t been so bad; they begrudgingly hung out with one another for at least an hour or so without any incident. They talked, even though their conversations were pretty short and not really over anything significant, and they eventually decided to play some video games. That was one thing they could both agree on, at least.

And then Kenny offered him a drink.

“What do you have?” He remembered asking those fateful words, having no idea of the chain reaction of events he was about to set into motion.

The other had listed off some pretty basic stuff; soda, water, nothing really out of the ordinary. And then came the last thing, something the blonde had tacked on so casually that Craig was sure it was something he’d said many times before.

“Or I can mix you up a Jack and Coke or something, if you want.”

Craig hadn’t really had many experiences with alcohol back then, other than a couple of parties and the one time he and Tweek had stolen a bottle of his mom’s wine from the family china cabinet. But with the way the night was going, and with the tensions nearly palpable between the two of them, he’d found himself saying “sure” as if it was a completely normal thing for him, as well.

Three drinks and several rounds of Call of Duty later, and Craig was definitely feeling the effects of the whiskey. His head felt light and his body felt warm; he cast a sideward glance at the blonde next to him from his spot on the opposite end of the couch, wondering what sort of state he was in.

Kenny seemed casual as ever, leaning back against the arm rest as he sipped from his now almost empty cup, already having beaten the noirette to his fourth drink. It took a few moments, but eventually the other seemed to notice Craig’s eyes on him, his attention turning to look at the boy curiously.

“What’s up?” He asked as he paused the game, amused by the slight glare the other cast him when he pointed out the staring.

Craig was feeling…something. It wasn’t really an emotion he could describe in his now hazed state, but it definitely wasn’t pleasant, and it definitely made him feel angry. Normally he wouldn’t be as open with his thoughts, but in that moment, it just seemed as though he couldn’t keep himself from spewing everything that popped into his mind.

“Why are you trying to take Tweek from me?”

As soon as that question had left his lips, the atmosphere in the room had immediately changed. Kenny raised an eyebrow as he simply stared at the other for a moment, the question seeming to have caught him off-guard.

“You feeling alright there, Craig? Maybe I shouldn’t have made your drinks with double shots.” The blonde chuckled and shook his head as he mused to himself for a moment, clearly having no intentions of responding to the question. That only seemed for fuel the other even more.

“Answer me.” The noirette’s voice dropped as he said the words firmly, eyes narrowing even further as he turned his full attention over and took another drink from his cup.

“Oh Craig, I’m not _trying_ to do anything,” Kenny’s words had an implying tone to them as he leaned in towards the other, knowing full well that he was drunk and deciding to fuck with him a bit, “If I was trying to steal Tweek away… _you would know_.”

A devilish smirk spread across the blonde’s lips at that, his own eyes narrowing a bit as he gave the other an intense look, the meaning behind his words clear as day; part of him was of course just trying to mess around, but the other part knew well enough that he felt that there was some truth to what he was saying.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Craig could hear his words slurring a bit as he spat them defensively at the other, but he didn’t really care at that point; his mind was way too clouded over with frustration and booze to really be able to think clearly anymore.

“Oh I think you know what it means.” Kenny grinned smugly as he stood from his spot, beginning to make his way towards the kitchen to pour himself another drink. It only took him a moment to realize that Craig was now following him.

“You want to have sex with him, don't you?” He wouldn’t let up, his filter completely shot as he stared the other down with an intense, warning gaze.

Kenny shut the door of the fridge and turned to look at the other over his shoulder, eyebrow raised and the amusement in his eyes only growing with how belligerent Craig was suddenly being. He’d never seen the noirette like this before, how could he pass up such an amazing opportunity? Not to mention that he could feel the alcohol beginning to cloud his own judgement, as well.

“And what if I do Craig, hm?” The blonde leaned back against the kitchen counter as he eyed the boy before him, that implying smirk once again gracing his features, “What are you gonna do about it?”

The look of anger that flashed through Craig’s eyes was perfect, and without really even stopping to think about what he was saying, Kenny found himself continuing with the narrative before the other could offer a response.

“What’s the matter Craig, afraid you’re not good enough for him? Afraid I can treat him better than you can?” Gripping onto the edge of the countertop, Kenny leaned in towards the other at that, his voice dropping low as he stared the boy straight in the eyes and flashed him a devilish smirk, “Afraid I can _fuck him better than you can_?”

The question seemed to catch the noirette completely off guard, his eyes widening in a mix of confusion and rage, as if he wasn’t sure which emotion he should actually be feeling at the moment. Wanting to take things a step further, and not really being able to stop himself even if he didn’t, Kenny decided to see just how far he could actually push this.

“Do you think about it? When Tweek’s over here, just the two of us, alone together…do you think about him _writhing_ beneath me, moaning out my name over, and over, and _over again_?” Putting on his best Tweek impersonation, the blonde threw his head back as he grinned and cried out in fake pleasure, “Oh god yes, Kenny! _Kenny!_ ”

He didn’t even have time to realize what was happening before Craig’s fist connected with his jaw, his head jerking to the side as an intense, throbbing pain shot throughout the lower half of his face.

“ _Shit!_ ” He spat out as he staggered to the side, that fourth drink making him lose his balance a bit as he gripped tightly onto the counter for support. Gritting his teeth, the blonde slowly turned his head and glared hard at the other, taking note of his clenched fists and the look of absolute rage within his eyes.

They simply stared each other down for a moment before Kenny suddenly lunged at him, sending both of them crashing to the kitchen floor as they struggled with one another, each of them trying to gain the upper hand of the situation. Loud bangs and yells filled the room as they fought, making an absolute mess of their surroundings in the process.

Right when Kenny thought that he had control, Craig kicked him off and climbed on top of him, punching him for a second time before he had the chance to defend himself. And then came a third time…and a fourth. The furious noirette let up for only a moment as he grabbed the collar of the other’s shirt and roughly yanked him up, their faces coming close as he glared down and seethed through his teeth,

“You stay the _fuck_ away from him, do you understand me?”

Craig pulled his arm back as he readied another hit…and that was when it happened. The exact memory was a little fuzzy, but he remembered hearing more yelling in the room and realizing that it wasn’t his own. He didn't find out until much later that apparently someone nearby had heard the yelling and called the cops, assuming that it was the blonde's parents fighting again.

Next thing he knew he was being yanked off of the other, his arms restrained behind his back; his eyes went wide as they landed on the man in uniform, the realization that the cops were there making him freeze up in fear.

_S_ _hit_.

This was it…this was the thing that would ruin him.

He didn’t even try to fight as they took him down to the station, feelings of shame and helplessness keeping him completely quiet as he simply waited for the inevitable. Kenny was going to press charges against him, and he was going to be sent away for god knows how long.

It was all over for him…or at least, that was what he’d thought.

So when the cop came back to where they were holding him and told him he was free to go, Craig was beyond shocked. He expressed his confusions, but only found them to grow when he was told that his “friend” told them to let him off the hook.

He remembered walking out of the station to find Kenny waiting for him, leaning casually against the brick wall with his arms crossed and a thoughtful look in his eyes. Parts of his face were bruised and swollen, and his lip had clearly been split open, a bit of dried blood still caked over the wound.

Their gazes met, and Craig even noticed a popped blood vessel in the other’s left eye; had he…really hit him that hard? A feeling of guilt tugged at his stomach as they watched one another quietly for a moment, the noirette trying his best to find the right words to say.

“Why…why didn’t you…?” He started to ask the question that was at the top of his mind, but found himself trailing off as the other gave a small smile, clearly recognizing what it was that Craig was trying to ask him.

“Because I don’t have a reason to. Believe it or not, I don’t actually hate you like you seem to think I do.” The blonde kicked off of the wall at that, leaving the other stunned in his spot for a moment before he realized Kenny wanted him to follow, “Come on, let me take you home.”

They made their way over to the beat up Impala that was parked on the side of the road, and Craig couldn’t help but be a bit surprised. Not only because he didn’t even know Kenny _had_ a car, but because the other was being so nice to him even after what he’d done. And what he’d said, about not hating him…was that really true? Had he just been misinterpreting the whole time?

It was that night that Craig began to see Kenny in a new light; it was also the night they each made the conscious decision to really try and get to know each other better. They’d gotten along fairly well when they were younger, even if they weren’t particularly close. But once Tweek had gotten thrown into the mix, well…things started to go downhill between them, to say the least.

As they rode in silence back to his place, the empty, darkened scenery of South Park whirling by outside the windows, the noirette realized that maybe it was about time to do something about that.

And from that moment on, Craig and Kenny's relationship began to change for the better.


	53. Nicotine

It took Craig a moment to realize that he’d spaced out, his thoughts finally coming back to the present as he looked back over at the blonde next to him, noticing that Kenny was watching him with a curious gaze.

“Everything okay? You kinda disappeared there for a minute,” Kenny asked with a small smile, leaning back against his door as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, “Taking a stroll down memory lane?”

“Yeah, just…thinking back on everything,” Craig watched as the other brought a cigarette to his lips, the soft click of a lighter sounding as a small flame sparked up to light the end, “You know you really should quit that. Smoking takes years off your life, dude.”

The blonde chuckled softly as he stared off for a moment, breathing in deeply before pulling it from his lips and letting out a steady puff of smoke. He glanced over at the other at that, flicking the ashes out the window as he grinned, “You sound like Tweek.”

“That’s because he’s right.”

“Yeah…I know he is.” Kenny looked on thoughtfully as he spoke, although the second breath of smoke as he brought the cigarette back to his lips showed that he had no intention of putting it out, “He’s normally right about a lot of things. Some habits are a lot harder to break, though.”

A comfortable quiet fell over them once again as they simply relaxed in their seats, enjoying one another’s company for a bit longer. After all of the tension of what they’d just been through, it was nice to not have to worry about anything, if only for a minute.

“Speaking of Tweek…” Craig broke the silence after several long moments, his head resting in his hand as he stared out at the night sky above, “I kind of wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What about?” Kenny asked coolly as he took one final hit from his cigarette before flicking it out the window, looking over at the other questioningly.

The noirette kept his eyes fixed to stars as he thought over his next words; he knew that he didn’t have to be delicate with Kenny in the same way that he did with Tweek, but he still wanted to make sure to get his point across in the best way possible.

“Remember back when I asked you if you were in love with Tweek? Before all of this happened?” Finally Craig turned his attention back over to his friend, taking note of the way his brow furrowed ever so slightly at the question, “Think you can answer that for me now?”

Kenny just watched him quietly at first, his eyes searching as they looked back and forth between Craig’s own, as if he was still worried this might be some sort of test. But he knew well enough that that didn’t really make much sense at this point; the other had nothing to gain by asking him this, and he no longer had anything to lose.

Taking in a deep breath, the blonde let out a small sigh as his expression softened, knowing that there wasn’t much of a point in trying to dance around or deny this anymore.

“Yes. I am.” He finally spoke after a moment of thoughtfulness, deciding that it was best to just get this conversation over with, even if he didn’t really know what the outcome was going to be, “I’ve loved Tweek for a long time. But I’m pretty sure you knew that already…why are you asking?”

“Because I want you to know that I’m okay with it. I’ve been holding that against you for way too long now.” They looked at one another as Craig continued on, the other listening closely to his every word, “I talked to Tweek earlier too, and I think the way he looks at you is starting to change.”

“What exactly do you mean?” Kenny asked curiously, brow furrowed slightly in confusion, “I’m not really following.”

“Let me ask you, have you ever wondered if Tweek has feelings for you, too?”

Kenny simply blinked for a moment as he thought over the question; sure he’d entertained the idea before, but he’d never really allowed himself to take it too seriously. He’d always known that if Tweek _did_ have feelings for him, it would just be all the more painful to know.

“I mean I have thought about it before, but…” He trailed off as he gave a small shrug, hoping that Craig would get what he was trying to say; thankfully, he did.

“Well, I would maybe start thinking about it a little bit more. I can’t be completely sure yet, but I think that Tweek’s starting to, uhm…how do I put this? _Reevaluate_ what exactly it is he feels for you.”

Kenny simply stared off as he let the words sink in, his mind seeming to have trouble wrapping itself around the concept, “Is this…what you guys talked about earlier?”

“More or less,” Craig shrugged as he watched the other closely in an attempt to gauge his reactions, “And I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told him. If you want to be more open with your feelings for him, and if Tweek’s okay with it too, then I want you to do that.”

Kenny had a feeling that this was where the conversation was headed, but even that didn’t save him from the myriad of emotions that tugged at his chest when he heard those words.

Was…he really serious about this?

“Why?” The blonde asked the first question that came to his mind, wanting to make sure he understood where exactly this was all coming from, “Why now?”

“Because I’m not afraid anymore, you could say…in fact, quite the opposite,” Craig spoke matter-of-factly, his expression softening as he continued on, “You’ve done so much for him, Kenny, for both of us. Without you, Tweek wouldn’t be here right now, and that’s something I know I can’t ever repay you for. And with the way things went back there, I probably wouldn’t be here, either.

“I love Tweek more than anything, all I want is for him to be happy…and I don’t want you to have to suffer anymore, either. So if you and Tweek _both_ feel that your relationship should be more than what it is right now, then…why should I try and stop you?”

A long silence fell over the car as they looked at one another, Craig having said his peace and Kenny not really knowing how to respond just yet.

“I don’t know, Craig, I…are you _sure_ about this?” Finally he let out a long sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair, his voice still riddled with reluctance, “I don’t want to mess shit up between us, and well…that’s a line that can’t be uncrossed.”

“I can promise you that if I wasn’t completely sure about this, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’ve made up my mind…just trust me, okay?”

Kenny knew well enough that Craig’s words held a lot of truth to them; it’s not like this was something to be taken lightly, so the other must have really put some thought into it before reaching a decision like this. But still he couldn’t shake the question of whether or not this was really okay from his mind.

He’d been in love with Tweek for _years_ , but he’d never actually expected anything to come out of it. He’d convinced himself that he was fine being the best friend who just watched from the sidelines, as long as the other was happy…now that there was the possibility of changing that, he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.

Of course he was elated by the idea of actually being able to _be_ with Tweek, but at the same time, he found himself to be pretty worried by the prospect, mainly because he wasn’t sure how he would even going about making the change in the first place.

But maybe it was best not to think too deeply on it…now that the barriers were officially torn down, if their relationship was meant to progress in that way, Kenny knew that it would could naturally. There wasn’t really much sense in worrying himself over it, because that would likely just end up making things unnecessarily awkward for the both of them.

After a long while of deliberating on the suggestion, Kenny finally glanced back over at his friend in the seat next to him, the indecisiveness fading from his features, “Okay…I’ll keep what you said in mind. But only if Tweek’s okay with it, too.”

“Of course, this is all dependent on what Tweek wants. He still needs time to think everything through, but…I wouldn’t worry too much about him deciding against it. If I had any real doubts as to him going for this, I wouldn’t have brought any of it up in the first place. He’s just really confused right now…give him some time, and I’m sure he’ll come to realize it on his own.”

A short pause fell over them before a thought suddenly popped into Kenny’s mind, his attention turning to the other fully as he voiced his concerns, “Does Tweek know about any of this? What we did back there?”

“No…” Craig shook his head slowly as he made a face, an almost guilty look crossing his features as he looked back at the blonde, “I didn’t want him to worry about anything going wrong, so…”

They looked at one another thoughtfully for a moment before Kenny spoke up once more, “You know we’re going to have to tell him, right? How do you…think he’ll react?”

“I honestly don’t know…” Craig trailed off as he glanced back out the window, his thoughts wandering over some of the possible outcomes, “I know I have to tell him, but…I was hoping to wait until everything’s all sorted out for good, you know? Once we know for sure that they’re _both_ behind bars.”

The blonde thought over what his friend said for a moment before giving a small nod, understanding where exactly it was he was coming from. After all, they still had no idea where Tweek’s mom was; she hadn’t been found at the shop with Richard, and they’d been told by the police that when they went to check the house, she wasn’t there, either.

They had no idea how she could have known, but it almost seemed as though she’d caught word of what was going on and fled…the police were of course still on the lookout for her, but with her on the run, it would probably make Tweek even more anxious than if they’d both been brought in at the same time.

Not to mention, even if they _were_ pieces of shit, they were also still Tweek’s parents…Kenny couldn’t really imagine what it would be like for him to find all of this out, on top of all of the stress he was already dealing with.

Kenny had personally dealt with his parents having run-ins with the police on multiple occasions over the years, but it had never particularly bothered him that much. He’d never really been that close with his dad or his older brother, so he never found himself to care much whenever they ended up getting themselves arrested.

Would Tweek feel something similar about the situation? Or would he be upset with them, maybe even angry for doing what they did? Either way, he guessed that it didn’t particularly matter at this point…regardless of how the younger felt about it, this was something that just needed to be done. They couldn’t just let his parents walk free after what they’d done to him, after all.

No matter the outcome, Kenny knew that he and Craig would be prepared to deal with any potential repercussions. Whether or not they were both worrying over nothing, he still wasn’t sure…but he supposed that all of the answers to their questions would come in due time.

He just needed to have some patience.


	54. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I hope that you're all doing well! And for anyone that had finals or anything like that, I hope all of that went well for you too! Finals were a bitch for me, as I'm sure they were for a lot of you, but we made it through! I'm on holiday now (I have been for a week) so my upload schedule's not going to be as organized as usual, but know that the writing of the fic is still going strong and I'll upload new content whenever I can! You probably won't hear from me until after Christmas, but since I wasn't able to post last week I wanted to go ahead and get this one out. I really hope that everyone has happy, stress-free holidays!
> 
> SLATS~

That night came and went pretty quickly; Craig didn’t sleep at all, simply lying awake in his bed as the hours passed by, mind racing with everything that had happened over the past week.

He never really realized just how empty it felt without Tweek next to him…he would usually stay over, or sometimes Craig would sneak into his place in the middle of the night and stay there. Without him here now, or at least knowing that he was safe in his own home, Craig found himself having a much harder time getting any sleep.

Finally the sunlight came to pour through the window, and a quick glance at the alarm clock told Craig that it was almost 8; just about time for him to head out.

He and Kenny had made plans to meet up and head to the hospital together this morning; they’d decided that it would be better to tell Tweek the truth about what had happened after all, and they wanted to do it together. Even if there was a chance he would get upset, he had a right to know, and they didn’t feel that it was right to keep him out of the loop anymore.

The noirette threw on a fresh pair of clothes and trudged down the stairs, the rest of the house dark and quiet. Usually everyone would have been up by now, but his family tended to sleep in on Saturday’s, so he figured they were all probably still asleep.

He wasn’t particularly hungry, and he didn’t really have time to eat even if he was, so he just slipped on his shoes and headed to the front door. He opened it to find Kenny already standing there, hand raised as if he were just about to start knocking.

They surprised each other, both simply standing there for a moment as they looked at one another. Craig could see the dark bags under his friend’s eyes, mirroring what he was sure he looked like at the moment, as well.

“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” He asked with a small, tired smile, watching as the other nodded in response.

“Yeah, just…too much to think about, I guess.” Kenny shrugged nonchalantly as he put his hands back into his pockets, head tilting to motion behind himself, “You ready to head out?”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Craig turned to shut the door behind him as he stepped out, pulling out his key to lock it before walking past the other and towards his car, “We can take my car today, if you want?”

He didn’t wait for the other to respond before unlocking the doors and slipping into the driver’s seat, knowing well enough that there wasn’t any reason for Kenny to refuse the offer; besides, it seemed as though he’d walked over today, because Craig didn’t see his car anywhere nearby.

The blonde thanked him and climbed into the passenger’s seat before the two of them took off. They rode in silence for a bit, each thinking about what exactly they would say once they got there.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Kenny asked after a few more moments, sensing the almost nervous tension coming from the seat next to him.

“Yeah, you were right…he needs to know,” Craig let out a small sigh as he drummed his fingers lightly along the steering wheel, “We need to let the staff know too, incase his mom tries to come by for some reason. I’m just…trying to think of the best way to tell him.”

“Yeah, I get that…” The conversation trailed off as the hospital came into view, the car slowing as they pulled into the parking lot.

Kenny could feel his phone buzzing in his pocket as they found a spot, the rest of the lot as desolate as ever. He scowled slightly as he pulled his phone out and looked at the screen, his brow furrowing a bit.

Craig couldn’t help but notice this as his friend glanced over at him with an exasperated sigh, “You go on ahead, I’ll be in in a minute.”

That was all Kenny said before answering the call, his words holding a bit of an edge to them as he spoke to whoever was on the other end, “What do you want? This isn’t really a good time.”

Feeling the tension and not wanting to seem as though he was eavesdropping, Craig climbed out of the car and headed towards the main entrance. He paused as he reached the doors, his mind running with all of the possibilities of how this might go.

He couldn’t help but feel a bout of nerves as he stared down at his feet and took in a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs. Finally he stepped inside, gathering all of his resolve as he began to make his way back.

He could do this. _They_ could do this.

They just had to sit down and explain everything, and—

Craig was brought to a full stop as he went to pass by the waiting room, catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye; or rather, someone.

“Tweek?” The noirette called out in surprise when he noticed the other standing in the middle of the room, back turned to him and his attention seemingly focused on something else.

“What are you doing out of bed? You shouldn’t be…” He began to ask as he made his way into the room, but his words trailed off when he realized what exactly the other was staring at; the T.V. mounted in the corner of the room.

It was showing a news report.

“…A supposed 20 pounds of illegally owned methamphetamines were found on site, and although Richard Tweak has been taken into custody, police are still on the lookout for his wife and partner in operations, Diane Tweak. If anyone has any information on her whereabouts, we urge you to call—…”

Craig began to tune out the rest as his eyes locked onto the boy before him, although the other was still facing away.

Shit. This was… _not_ how this was supposed to go.

“Tweek, let me—”

“Is this what you’ve been doing…?” The younger’s voice came out small and quiet, his tone too soft to figure out what exactly was going on inside his head.

Craig had hoped to ease him into this slowly, but…it was clear that that wasn’t going to be possible now.

“Yes, it is.” He took a few careful steps over to the other, but Tweek still made no move to look back at him, “I’m sorry, but…we couldn’t just let them get away with what they did. I wanted us to be able to tell you this ourselves, I really didn’t want you to find out like this…

“I’m sorry Tweek, I know this must be really hard for you, but—”

All of the words seemed to dry up in his mouth as the younger finally turned to look at him. Tweek’s eyes were red and swollen, tears falling freely down his cheeks as his shoulders began to shake with silent sobs.

Craig’s thoughts came to a screeching halt when he realized the state that the other was in, all of the things he wanted to say seeming to go out the window in that moment.

This was exactly why he’d wanted to tell Tweek himself about what had happened, so that it wouldn’t be thrown onto him all at once; but now, as they looked at one another, Craig no longer knew what to do. What could he possibly say to make any of this better?

He knew that Tweek wasn’t really stable right now…would he hate them for what they’d done?

“Tweek, I—” Finally seeming to find his words, Craig was stunned into silence once again as the other threw his arms around his torso and practically collapsed into him, sobbing loudly into his chest.

The noirette quickly put his arms around Tweek to support him, holding him tightly as he let the younger come undone. Listening to him cry so painfully…Craig tried his best to keep it together, but he could feel his own eyes begin to water as he listened, so he shut them tightly in an attempt to collect himself.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered quietly, voice shaking a bit as he ran his fingers gently through the other’s hair.

“Sorry…?” Tweek began to quiet down at the words, pulling back just enough to look into the deep green eyes before him, hands shaking as they came up to cup the other’s face between them, “Craig, I…I-I don’t know how I can ever th-thank you for this…!”

“Wait, you’re…not angry?”

“ _Angry?_ ” Tweek made a strange noise that was a mix between a laugh and a sob, a weak smile coming to his lips as he shook his head, “How could I _possibly_ be _mad_ at you for doing something like this for me…?”

“Well I can’t take all of the credit, I never could have done it by myself…” A soft smile came to Craig’s lips as he grasped one of Tweek’s hands in his own, bringing it to press a gentle kiss to his knuckles before motioning back towards the entrance, “I had a lot of help.”

Tweek looked over the other’s shoulder to see Kenny leaning casually against the entryway into the room, arms crossed over his chest as he watched them; the younger hadn’t even noticed him enter, and had no idea how long he’d been standing there for.

Their eyes met and Kenny straightened up in his spot, an almost nervous look falling across his features as the younger began to cross the room and approach him.

Tweek stopped once he reached the other, gazing up at him for a long moment before reaching forward to wrap his arms around him and resting his head against his chest.

Kenny couldn’t help but to go a bit rigid at first, as if he was having trouble figuring out how to react; he and Tweek had hugged more times than he could even begin to count, but…not once had it ever felt quite like this. He couldn’t find the right words to describe what exactly he was feeling, it just felt…different.

Slowly he wrapped his arms around the younger to return the embrace, holding him close as he rest his head atop Tweek’s own.

“Thank you…” He heard the other whisper softly, a small smile coming to his lips at the words. He brought his hand up to rest gently on the back of Tweek’s head at that, the feeling of the soft locks beneath his fingers making his chest feel warm.

“You know you don’t have to thank me, Tweek…we were just doing what was right.”

“But you didn’t have to, and you did anyways…” The younger slowly pulled back at that, looking up at him with a soft smile as he sniffled and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hands, “I can’t imagine it was easy, either…how exactly did you guys manage it, anyways?”

Kenny and Craig looked at one another quietly for a moment as Tweek looked back and forth between them in confusion.

“How about we get you back into bed and we’ll tell you all about it, okay?” Craig gave a small smile as he stepped up and placed his hand on the small of Tweek’s back, beginning to guide him out of the room.

“Okay…but I want to hear _everything_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh just as a little side note, I scoured the internet far and wide and was neither able to find a cannon nor a fannon name for Tweek's mom, so I just decided to go with Diane because she looks like a Diane to me ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	55. Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello everyone! I hope that you all had wonderful holidays and are having a good 2019 so far. It's been a bit since I've uploaded last, so I wanted to go ahead and get this new chapter out because I don't want to keep you all waiting for too long! I've had a bit of down time to write now, so I'm getting back into it after my short break. Just as a heads up, this chapter contains some heavy content, so be prepared for some angst. Some new tags are probably going to be added by the time this goes up, so feel free to check those out if you want, but there's likely going to be a bit of a spoiler so you may want to hold off until the next one. Although I'm sure many of you will be able to guess it anyways, just something to keep in mind if you want to keep up the suspense!
> 
> Anyways, without further ado, here's the new chapter! I hope that you all enjoy it, and I'll see you all in the next one <3
> 
> SLATS~

So they told Tweek everything.

Or, well…almost everything. They left out certain details, like Richard bringing up their fight, or the awful words he’d said about his son…they both agreed that there was just no real reason for him to know those things.

Kenny left in the part about punching the man in the face, though, because he knew that the other would appreciate it, but he definitely didn’t specify why.

Tweek listened closely to their every word as they explained the process from start to finish, amazed by how much effort they’d both put in to make all of this possible.

He was more than a little freaked out when he heard that his dad had pulled a gun on Craig, because he could have gotten seriously hurt, or even killed. He couldn’t imagine how terrifying that would have been; his dad had pulled a gun on him once when he was younger, but as fucked up as that was, it had at least been empty.

And it was also unnerving that his mom still hadn’t been found by the police yet, because in Tweek’s mind she was just as much at fault for all of this as his father was, and knowing that she was still out there somewhere made him feel a bit unsafe.

But Craig and Kenny assured him that they wouldn’t let anything happen, especially considering that they’d warned the staff that she was still at large, so they knew to keep a lookout for her. That at least helped to calm his nerves a little, but…he still couldn’t shake this feeling that something just wasn’t quite right.

That this whole nightmare wasn’t completely over yet.

But he tried his best to push it from his thoughts regardless, knowing full-well that he was more on edge than usual and that it was probably making him paranoid over nothing.

With his mental state as unstable as it was at the moment, both because of everything that had happened over the past week and because of the withdrawal his system was going through, Tweek was at least able to recognize that it was more difficult than usual to distinguish his rational thoughts from the irrational ones.

Besides, having Craig and Kenny there with him and knowing that they were both safe definitely helped to put his mind at rest; that was one less thing he needed to worry about, at least.

So he tried his best to calm himself down, and simply enjoy being in the company of the two most important people in his life. And for a while, that worked perfectly fine. After they’d finished talking about the whole “sting operation,” they just started chatting about various lighter topics to help take the young blonde’s mind off of everything.

A couple of hours passed by without incident like this, and for that small amount of time they thought that they might actually be in the clear.

And then came the yelling.

Their conversation trailed off as they heard some strange noises coming from what seemed to be a ways down the hall; it was hard to tell exactly what it was from the distance, but it sounded like someone was making quite a fuss for some reason.

They all looked to the door in confusion before looking back at one another, eyebrows raised as they tried to figure out what exactly was going on out there.

That was when they heard it.

“I just want to see him!”

Tweek recognized the voice almost instantly, and before Craig and Kenny even had a chance to react, the covers were thrown off and he was rushing out of the door.

“Tweek, wait!” Craig called out as they both shot up from their seats to follow, panic rushing through him as he watched after his boyfriend desperately. He had a feeling that something like this might happen, that was why they’d made such a big point of bringing it up, but…he figured they would at least have more time to prepare.

The two boys ran after the younger as he hurried down the hall, finally managing to catch up to him right as he rounded the corner to the main entrance. Craig grabbed his arm and tried to yank him back, but it was already too late.

The three of them stood there in shock as they stared on at the scene before them; Diane was standing there, a frightened looking receptionist and a doctor currently trying to restrain her arms as she flailed and struggled against them wildly.

Tweek’s eyes met with hers, his stomach dropping and a frantic look swimming within his eyes as he spat out coldly, “What the _hell_ are you doing here?”

“Tweek, please, I just want to—” Her voice was pleading as she finally freed her arms from the others’ grasps, her hands raised up in front of her defensively, but she barely even managed to get any of the words out before the blonde cut her off.

“I don’t want to hear _anything_ you have to say!” He shouted out as his hands balled into fists, body starting to shake as tears began to sting at the corners of his eyes, “I have _nothing_ to say to you!”

“You don’t understand, I wasn’t able to—” She took a small step forward, but was stopped in her tracks as the other continued screaming at her, voice raising louder and seeming to startle her a bit.

“Don’t give me that _shit!_ Don’t you _dare_ try to tell me that you didn’t know, o-or that you couldn’t do anything about it, or that you _had no choice_!” The tears started falling from Tweek’s eyes beyond his control, all of the pain and suffering he’d had bottled up, all of the betrayal and contempt he felt spilling out as if all at once, “You knew _exactly_ what you were doing to me!! You both did! And you think you can come in here now and _apologize_ , try to tell me it _wasn’t your fault?!_ What is wrong with you!? You’re just as bad as he is!! You…y-you…!”

His hands flew up to his head as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly, teeth grinding together as all of the emotions began to overwhelm him. He let out a pitiful noise as he stumbled back a bit, and at that moment Craig and Kenny both spurred into action, having been too stunned by the sudden development to even know how to react at first.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” Craig put his hand on the other’s lower back to steady him as he stepped forward, his voice soft and reassuring as he focused all of his attention on the younger, trying his best to get him to calm down, “You’re alright Tweek, she’s not going to hurt you anymore…everything’s alright.”

“Just breathe, okay? Take deep breaths,” Kenny placed a comforting hand on the other’s upper back as well, his gaze narrowing dangerously as he looked over to the woman and the staff standing by the door and spoke lowly, “You need to get her the hell out of here, _now_.

“Craig, go get security. I’ll take Tweek back to his room.”

The noirette gave a firm nod of his head before turning on his heel and bolting down the hallway, wanting nothing more than to get all of this over with as soon as possible. Tweek _didn’t need this_ right now. In fact, this was literally the _last_ thing he needed…and right after he’d started feeling better, too.

This bitch had the absolute worst timing. He figured she might try and come by at some point, but he didn’t think she was stupid enough to try it in the middle of the day, literally the _day after_ her husband had been arrested. What the hell was her aim here? Why couldn’t she just leave him alone?!

As soon as Craig had left, Kenny carefully began trying to urge Tweek back down the hallway as well, wanting to get him away from this woman and out of her sight as soon as possible. He had a really bad feeling about all of this; the fact that she was here at all was bad enough, and the sooner Tweek was out of the situation the better, but…something just felt really off.

“Tweek please, just…just wait a second!” Diane shouted out in one final, desperate attempt to grab her son’s attention, her voice laced with a sort of begging guilt, “I just have something I need to give to you, and then I promise you’ll never see me again!”

Her words, her tone, to Kenny it all sounded…too perfect. Staged. _Fake_.

Despite this, he found his eyes widening in surprise when he felt Tweek stop in his place, completely halting in his tracks. He tried to continue to move the other forward, hand on his back as he urged him on, but he realized that the younger wasn’t budging at all.

And for some reason he couldn’t understand, this _terrified_ him.

His entire body surged with a strange panic as Tweek turned back to look at the woman over his shoulder, an intense adrenaline rushing through his veins as his wide eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. It was like he was suddenly viewing everything in slow motion, a certain type of fear that he’d only felt a handful of times beginning to course through him.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he feeling this way?

He couldn’t even hear what the woman was saying anymore as he stared at her intently, his vision seeming to hyper-focus on her every movement. He saw her reaching down for her purse, hand slowly dipping into the bag beyond his sight, and it was then that he realized what exactly it was he was feeling. Why it was he was so panicked.

Without even taking a second to think, he shoved Tweek out of the way in one sudden, forceful motion.

A loud bang reverberated off of the walls, but it was nothing compared to the deafening ringing in his ears and the intense, searing pain that spread throughout his entire upper body.

Time felt as though it had slowed to a complete crawl in that moment, his body staggering as he reached up to clutch at the source of the numbing pain in his chest. And as he moved his hand away, he looked down to see it bathed in a deep red.

The sound of the shot stunned Tweek for a moment as he hit the floor hard, and it took him a few seconds to gather his bearings before he was finally able to push himself back up. He looked over to see several security guards now subduing his mother, and watched as the gun fell from her hand and went crashing to the floor.

Only then did he realize what had just happened. She’d tried to pull a gun on him with a clear intent to kill, but Kenny must have noticed it and pushed him out of the way before she could—

Wait… _Kenny!_

His gaze shot over to the boy who had been standing next to him…just in time to see him dropping to his knees as he clutched tightly at the bullet wound in his chest. The dark red pool seeping through his jacket was in complete contrast to the bright orange which surrounded it, and it took Tweek’s mind a second to actually register what he was seeing.

He crawled over as he watched the other collapse onto his side, a look of absolute horror crossing his features when he realized how bad of a state he was in. His mouth hung open as broken, shallow breaths left his lips, hands shaking furiously as he reached out for the older blonde, tears nearly blurring his vision completely as they fell down his cheeks.

“W-why…why did…y-you…” He tried in vain to get the words out as he stared down at Kenny, stomach churning and head spinning as he began losing all control over himself; he watched the weak smile that came to the other’s lips, gaze growing unfocused as they looked at one another.

“I-I…told you I’m..…not going to…l-let her……hurt you anymore…” Kenny coughed violently at that, and he could feel the blood spilling from his lips as he let out a pained, raspy breath, “Shit….”

“Shh, don’t…d-don’t talk, okay?” Tweek could feel his sanity slipping away, his heart feeling as though it had been completely wrenched from his chest as he shouted out to anyone that could hear him, “ _Somebody help him!!_ ”

“Hey, it’s….i-it’s okay…” Kenny chuckled weakly as he looked up at the other, using every last bit of strength he had to raise his hand up and touch the side of Tweek’s face, if only for a small moment, “I’ll…b-be okay….I…promise….”

His hand fell back to the ground at that, eyes falling closed as he let out a quiet, pained groan. His body felt as though it was becoming lighter, the searing pain beginning to dull into a soft ache as the world around him began to fade away.

He could hear multiple voices shouting, but it was all too muffled to actually make out anything they were saying; he was pretty sure he could feel himself being lifted too, but he no longer had the strength to actually open his eyes and look. Doctors, he assumed.

Not that it really mattered now…this was a feeling he’d experienced dozens, maybe hundreds of times before. He knew what was coming next, and he knew that there was nothing anybody could do to stop it.

Tweek watched on helplessly as the doctors rushed Kenny down the hall, body completely frozen in his place on the floor. He didn’t even bother to see if his mother was still in the building, although he was pretty sure she’d been taken out almost immediately. He couldn’t bring himself to move, or even look around, his gaze unfocused as he stared off into nothing.

He couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t…do…

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, nails digging into the cold floor beneath as everything inside of him felt as though it completely shattered.

He let out a loud, painful wail as he completely crumpled to the ground in a heap, tears spilling from his eyes as he cried profusely. He could feel arms wrapping around him tightly and lifting him back up, and he knew in the back of his mind that it was Craig, but he couldn’t bring himself to look or even think.

He continued to cry out as he clutched onto whatever fabric was in his reach, unable to stop even if he’d wanted to. He could feel Craig rocking him back and forth and trying to say something to him, but he couldn’t hear what it was at all. He barely had any understanding of where he even was anymore, the world around him becoming one confusing, jumbled mess of nothingness.

Why the hell was all of this happening? _What did he do to deserve this?!_

Tweek couldn’t think straight anymore, or even at all, every last bit of control and sanity he had completely slipping from his grasp as he let out intense, piercing sobs. His emotions overpowered him fully, to the point that he wasn’t even coherent any longer, unable to stop them from taking over his mind and body.

This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. This was all just some horrible, fucked up nightmare that he would wake up from any minute.

He had to.

_He had to!_

But no matter how much he wanted to escape the reality of what had happened, he couldn’t. Because in the back of his mind, he knew that this wasn’t a nightmare.

This was much, _much_ worse.


	56. Undistinguished Realities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone!! So I know I normally wait at least a full weeks time between uploads, and I was going to wait longer to post this one, but I was honestly just so excited to share it and keep the story progressing that I figured I'd upload a little earlier than usual. Plus after the last one, I wanted there to be some time to keep things suspenseful, but it would be cruel to leave you guys off on that for too long. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ 
> 
> Some of you may have been expecting this, or it all may come as a complete surprise. No matter what end of the spectrum you're on, I really hope that you all enjoy this new chapter! And I hope that you're all having a great day or night, wherever you may be! <3
> 
> SLATS~

The passage of time meant nothing to Tweek anymore. Seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like days; nothing seemed to make sense, but he couldn’t bring himself to care either way.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d cried for. He wasn’t sure when Craig had brought him back into his room, or when he’d finally passed out from exhaustion. And he wasn’t sure how long he’d stayed locked in his restless sleep, if sleep was even the right word to call it.

Rather, it was as if he’d simply stopped existing for a while. As if the world around him was no longer there. It felt as though it lasted an eternity, and as he awoke with a start to the dark room surrounding him, the concept of time continued to feel meaningless.

There were no windows in this room, and it was too dark to see the hands of the clock overhead, even if he’d had the desire to know the time. The only light that illuminated the area was that of the fluorescents that spilled in from the hallway outside.

The fog that clouded his mind as his eyes slowly opened made him feel groggy, and it took Tweek a moment to completely regain his consciousness and understand where he was. This hospital room had grown depressingly familiar to him in recent times; and with this realization came the horrid memories of what had happened before he’d been brought back there.

He didn’t bother to raise himself from the bed, tears immediately beginning to haze his vision as they spilled onto the pillow below. He didn’t want to remember. He didn’t want any of this to be real.

“Tweek?” He heard Craig’s voice call out softly from the darkness, and it was then that he noticed a figure sitting at his bedside. A hand was placed gently against his cheek, a feeling he normally would have found comforting only managing to make his heart ache further as quiet sobs began to spill from his lips.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” The concerned tone in the other’s voice made Tweek’s chest tighten painfully, his eyes squeezing shut tightly as he continued to cry into the pillow beneath him. He could feel Craig wiping at the tears staining his cheeks, but this did nothing to lessen their fall.

“It was my fault…” His words shook pitifully as he whispered, fingers curling tightly into the blanket that covered him as he pulled it closer, as if trying to shield himself from reality within its warmth.

“None of this is your fault, Tweek…you couldn’t have—”

“ _It was my fault!!_ ” The younger shouted out as he pushed himself up in his spot, swatting Craig’s hand away in the process as all of his guilt and despair erupted, “All of this was _my fault!!_ She was after _me_ , Craig! She wanted _me!_ He did this to protect _me_ , a-and now he’s…h-he’s…!”

Tweek let out an angry, woeful noise as his hands flew up to clutch at his hair, fingers digging in tightly as he began to pull hard at the strands in his fists, “ _Why does this keep happening to me?!_ ”

“Tweek, stop!” Craig shouted out desperately as he grabbed the other’s hands and pulled them away from his head, having to be a bit forceful to keep the blonde from struggling against his grasp, “Please, you need to calm down! I want to help, but I can’t if you won’t let me. What are you talking about? Please, I want to understand.”

Tweek didn’t even realize that he was fighting against the other at first, but all of his movements came to a stop when he heard that question, a look of horror and disbelief filling his eyes as he stared at the boy before him, “What am I talking about? _What am I talking about!?_ Kenny is _dead_ , Craig! He’s dead and it’s because of me! How the hell are you acting so normal right now!? Do you not _care?!_ ”

The worried look that flashed across Craig’s face in that moment only managed to confuse Tweek further, and he watched as the other simply looked at him quietly for a moment, green eyes darting back and forth between his own and lips parted as if he were having a hard time finding the right words to say.

“Tweek, honey, I need you to listen to me, okay?” The noirette’s grip on his wrists loosened as he brought their hands down, an almost cautious tone to his voice as he continued on, “I think that…maybe you had a nightmare, and right now, you’re…having a hard time telling that apart from reality.”

What? Was this some kind of _joke?!_

“A nightmare? _A nightmare?_ My mom tried to _kill_ me, and Kenny pushed me out of the way, and he got _shot!_ I _saw_ him! I saw him _bleeding out on the floor!!_ ” The desperation continued to rise in his voice as he stared at the other with wide, confused eyes, “You saw him too! I _know_ you did!”

“Tweek, Kenny is fine! Nothing bad happened to him!”

“Like hell it didn’t! I _saw_ it Craig, I _saw_ him dying! How can you just act like everything’s fine!? Why are you lying to me?!”

The room fell into a heavy, uncomfortable silence at that. The two continued to stare at one another for several long moments, Craig’s eyes swimming with deep concern and confusion, and Tweek’s filled with anger and exasperation.

It was as if the blonde could feel the tension crawling up the back of his neck as the seconds ticked by, simply waiting for some sort of response, but still Craig said nothing. The look that the other was giving him only managed to make him feel worse, and finally he couldn’t help but lash out in response, “Why are you looking at me like I’m crazy? I am _not crazy!!_ ”

“No, no that’s not it! Look at me,” Craig put his hands firmly on the other’s cheeks as he looked deeply into the blue eyes before him, his voice growing serious, “I _know_ you’re not crazy, Tweek. I would _never_ think that you’re crazy. But what you’re telling me, just…that isn’t how it happened.

“Diane _did_ shoot at you and Kenny _did_ push you out of the way, but the bullet didn’t go anywhere _near_ him. You hit your head pretty hard when you fell and blacked out, and I just…I think that what happened was really traumatic for you, and you had a fucked up dream and now you’re remembering things wrong because of it.

“And that’s okay! Hell, if I were you, I don’t know if I’d be dealing with all of this nearly as well as you are right now. It’s completely understandable that this all might be, well…messing with your head a little bit. But I promise you, Kenny is _fine_. He just had to go back home to take care of something, that’s why he’s not here. I _saw_ him leave.”

“W…what?” Tweek couldn’t believe what he was hearing right now, an almost fearful tone seeping into his voice as the memory of what happened flashed through his mind again, completely clear as day, “But I…I-I saw him…h-he was…”

His words trailed off as his wide eyes glanced down into his lap, gaze growing unfocused as he stared off at nothing. The images in his mind...the blood, Kenny’s voice, it all seemed so…real. How could that entire memory be false? How could he have just made all of that up? There’s no way that he could have just fabricated the whole thing…could he?

Was he…really going crazy?

Craig continued to watch him for a moment before standing up in his spot, making his way over to one of the further corners in the room as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. He put it up to his ear after a moment, listening to the few rings that came before the other end finally connected.

“Hey, can you come over here? Like, now?” He didn’t bother to hide the concern in his voice as he spoke into the receiver, taking a quick glance back at the blonde sitting on the bed, staring off into nothing before continuing on with his request, “It’s uhm…really important.”


	57. Trust the Senses

Tweek continued to stare off as he thought, mind racing with hundreds of questions of what the hell was going on. He replayed the memory of what had happened as if on a loop, going through everything from start to finish to see if maybe he’d missed something, but ultimately coming up with nothing.

He could remember it all perfectly; the gunshot, watching Kenny fall to the floor, the blood pouring from the wound in his chest…there was just _no way_ he could have made that all up.

But then why did Craig deny any of it ever happening? He wasn’t sure when the other had gotten back in the room or how much he’d actually seen, but at the _very least_ he had to have seen Kenny getting taken away by the doctors.

For a brief moment, part of him wondered if Craig really _was_ lying to him; if he was trying in some strange, messed up way to shield him from the reality of what had happened. But when he really got to thinking about it, Tweek knew that this just didn’t make sense, so he quickly pushed the thought from his mind.

Not to mention that Craig had seemed genuinely confused about Tweek’s recollection of what had happened, and continued to swear adamantly that he was _sure_ Kenny was perfectly fine. But if Craig really was telling the truth, and Kenny really _didn’t_ get shot, then…where exactly had these memories come from?

Why could he recall so clearly the sight of Kenny’s bloody, wounded body on the hospital floor? Why could he still hear the other’s words in his mind, telling him that he promised he would be okay, even if it was painfully clear at the time that he wouldn’t be?

Nothing about this situation made any sense to him, and the more Tweek thought it over to try and clear up his confusion, the worse he found it to be. It got to the point that his head began pounding profusely from just how hard he was thinking about everything, and he let out a quiet groan as he pulled his knees up, allowing his eyes to fall closed as he rest his forehead against them.

Craig had taken off a little bit ago after getting a phone call from Tricia; he’d completely forgotten that he was supposed to take her to her away game today while his parents were out of town, and had to regretfully rush out after promising Tweek that Kenny would be there shortly to see him.

That in-of-itself was another thing that told him Craig must have truly believed that Kenny was still okay, because he knew that the other never would have been comfortable leaving him if he didn’t _actually_ think the older blonde was going to show up.

But even with this knowledge, Tweek still couldn’t bring himself to believe it. All he could picture in his mind was Kenny’s weak smile and blood soaked jacket, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t shake these images from his thoughts. They continued to resurface over and over again as he waited, time seeming to tick by at an agonizingly slow rate.

It was one thing if the doctors had somehow been able to _save_ Kenny, although that alone was still extremely unlikely with the state he’d been in, but Craig had mentioned that the bullet hadn’t actually hit him at all.

Their accounts were in complete contrast with one another, and this made it so that Tweek wasn’t sure _what_ to believe anymore…so the only other thing he felt he could do was just wait and see what would happen. See if Kenny really did walk through that door, completely unharmed.

See if…he really was crazy.

So he waited. And waited. And…waited.

He sat in silence, taking occasional glances up at the clock to keep track of how much time had been passing. Craig said that Kenny would be there soon, but as the first hour came and went, the slight hope that had been building within Tweek’s heart slowly began to die out.

What was he thinking? Of course Kenny wasn’t going to show…he started to feel stupid for even thinking it was possible in the first place. And with that feeling rose up the despair he’d been trying so desperately to push down, hoping that maybe, just _maybe_ Craig was right. Maybe he had imagined it all.

Maybe Kenny wasn’t…gone.

He wanted nothing more than to believe that was true; he would’ve given _anything_ for it to be. But as another half-hour passed by, it began to seem less and less like that was going to be the case.

Tweek wrapped his arms tightly around his legs as he buried his face in his knees once more, tears beginning to build up behind closed eyelids. He didn’t want to be alone right now, nothing but guilt and painful memories to keep him company.

He couldn’t handle this on his own, this heavy feeling that tore him apart from the inside out. His head ached and his stomach twisted nauseously to the point that he felt as though he’d be sick any second, although he’d barely eaten anything in days, so it wasn’t as if it would even do him any good.

If he could just fall back asleep, maybe he could forget about all of this for a little while. Forget about this living hell that he’d found himself in, about all of the terrible things that plagued his mind to no end.

Maybe…if he could just…

“Sorry I’m late. I had to deal with some shit back home and, well…put me a little behind schedule.”

Tweek couldn’t help but tense up in his spot when the familiar voice met his ears, although he was a bit too stunned at first to actually raise his head and look at his visitor.

“Is everything okay? Craig said that you really needed to see me, but he didn’t say why.”

Finally Tweek raised his head from his knees, eyes wide and mouth agape with shock as he watched the older boy step into the room and close the door behind him. He could feel tears running down his cheeks as he stared at the other, but he couldn’t actually bring himself to move and wipe them away, even if he’d cared enough to.

Kenny froze up in his spot when he saw the look the other was giving him, a bit taken aback for a moment before he cracked a small smile and tilted his head to the side, “What’s wrong, Tweek? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Y-you…you…” Tweek found himself unable to get the words out at first, but a sudden burst of adrenaline brought him jumping up from his bed as he pointed at the other, completely shaken to his very core, “Take off your shirt!”

This only managed to take Kenny aback further, his own eyes growing wide as he stared at the other with a look of complete confusion before giving an awkward laugh, “Uh Tweek, I don’t really know if this is the best place to—”

“Take. Off. Your. _Shirt!_ ” The younger spoke a bit more forcefully this time, the serious, desperate tone in his voice catching the other completely off guard.

Kenny simply blinked for a moment, surprised by how strangely Tweek was acting all of the sudden, and not really understanding what it was he was after. But the look the other was giving him made it clear that he wasn’t messing around, so even with his confusion, he decided to comply regardless.

Slowly he allowed his jacket to slide off of his shoulders and fall to the floor, fingers curling under the hem of his shirt before pulling the fabric up and over his head, allowing it to hang loosely from his hand as his arms fell back to his sides and he gave a small, expectant shrug.

Tweek’s eyes darted frantically all over his figure, only to find…nothing.

No bullet wound, no stitches, absolutely _nothing_ to indicate he’d been hurt at all. He looked…perfectly fine. But how was this possible?

_How the hell was this possible?!_

Slowly, almost cautiously, Tweek took the few steps needed to close the distance between them. His hands shook fiercely as he raised them up, palms coming to rest on the bare skin of the other’s chest as he stared, his mind racing with a jumbled, incoherent mess of questions that seemingly had no answers.

He could feel Kenny’s heart beating fast underneath his touch…completely unmarred and safe from harm. Had he actually imagined it all? Made it all up?

Had it really just been some fucked up dream from all of the stress and trauma he’d been dealing with? Was he really going crazy?

Trapped in his thoughts, Tweek almost completely forgot that Kenny was actually _there_ , the other’s soft, almost nervous sounding voice jarring him back to reality, “So, uhm…are you gonna explain what all of this is about, or…?”

“You…y-you’re…okay?” The younger couldn’t keep his voice from shaking as he continued to stare at the exposed skin before him, too stunned and confused to move himself away or even lower his hands from the other’s chest.

“Well, yeah…why wouldn’t I be?” Kenny asked curiously, although his last words held something a bit more to them…something serious, uneasy. Like he was unsure of if he should be asking or not; unsure of if he wanted to hear the answer.

“Last night, you…” Tweek trailed off for a moment, his voice growing softer as if he himself were unsure of where this conversation was going, “My mom, she…she tried to shoot me, and you…”

Another burst of adrenaline seemed to hit Tweek out of nowhere as he jolted back, eyes wide and voice raising in desperation as all of his thoughts began pouring out in one jumbled mess.

“You pushed me out of the way, b-but the bullet hit you instead! Craig said it didn’t go anywhere near you, but I _saw it!!_ I _saw_ you get _shot!_ ” His words grew frantic as he stumbled back a few steps, hands flying up to clutch at his head as he stared off into nothing, the memory replaying in his mind for the dozenth or so time, “Y-you fell on the floor, and you were bleeding _everywhere!_ I _saw_ _you dying!!_ A-and you looked at me, and you said—!”

“That I would be okay,” Tweek’s thoughts came to a screeching halt when the older boy stepped towards him, his gaze darting up to see Kenny’s shocked expression now mirroring his own, “I promised that I would be okay…that’s what I said to you, right?”

“Yes,” Tweek barely even whispered the word as they stared at one another, his shaking hands slowly falling back to rest at his sides, “But…I-I don’t understand, you look fine! A-and Craig said that he didn’t—!”

A gasp slipped past the younger’s lips at the pair of arms that came to wrap around him suddenly, pulling him into a close, tight embrace. It happened so quickly that he couldn’t help but tense up in his spot at first, his brain taking a moment to even comprehend what was going on.

Only when he felt a damp warmth drip onto his shoulder did he realize that Kenny was hugging him; and not only that, but he was…crying.

“I…” Slowly Tweek came to return the embrace, his words soft as he spoke more to himself than to the other, “I’m…not crazy, am I?”

“No, you are _not_ crazy,” Kenny pulled back just a small bit at that, his hands coming to cup Tweek’s face as he stared deeply into his eyes, a smile coming to his lips, “Don’t _ever_ think, for even a _second_ , that you’re crazy.”

He chuckled weakly at that, not bothering to wipe the tears streaming down his cheeks as he gazed at the other intently, “You’re probably one of the sanest people in this god-forsaken town…”

“But then…why doesn’t Craig remember?” This new development, although bringing him great amounts of relief, only managed to confuse Tweek further at the same time. It made even less sense that Craig would have lied to him about this now, but it also didn’t fit that he had no knowledge of it having happened, so why was he so adamant about it?

“They never do,” Kenny let out a deep sigh as he pulled away from the other completely, simply looking at him for a moment before motioning to the bed behind them, “You should sit…this is going to take some time to explain.”


	58. Always

“Wait, so…you’re saying this has happened before?”  
  
The two blondes sat on the edge of the hospital bed, the kicking of Tweek’s feet coming to a halt as he glanced over at the boy next to him. Kenny had tried his best to explain, but this was all so new and foreign to him that he was still having a difficult time wrapping his head around it all.  
  
It was like something out of a movie, or a science fiction novel; completely separate from what he would have expected possible in reality. But then again, a lot of unexplainable things seemed to happen in this town.  
  
After all, South Park had always been anything but ordinary.  
  
So while his first instincts would’ve been to completely discount everything he was hearing, he tried his best to push those urges down and keep an open mind as he listened, especially considering that he himself was now experiencing this strange phenomenon.  
  
“More times than I can count,” Kenny let out a half-hearted chuckle as he stared down at the hands currently clasped together in his lap, gaze a bit unfocused, “It happened all the time when I was younger, everyday even. But as time went by it started happening less and less, to the point that it just seemed to stop altogether.”  
  
He glanced over to Tweek at that as he flashed a soft smile, “To be completely honest with you, I didn’t know if it would even work anymore. When I pushed you out of the way last night, it didn’t even cross my mind…and when I got hit, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit worried I wouldn’t come back again. But I guess even this doesn’t change with time.”  
  
“That sounds terrible,” Tweek’s gaze softened as he looked at the other, his words holding a deeply sympathetic tone to them, “I can’t even imagine what that must be like…dying over and over like that…”  
  
“That’s not even the worst part,” The older boy let out a deep sigh as he leaned back on his hands, his eyes growing vacant as he cast them up towards the ceiling, “I would always wake up in my bed the next day, completely unharmed but with the memories still fresh in my mind. But no matter who I talked to, or how hard I tried, no one else would ever remember.  
  
“They could have seen me die right before their very eyes, and it would still be as if it never even happened. And not only that, but they would seem to have false memories about what had happened to me…even if I’d been killed right in front of them, they would just swear up and down that they’d seen me run away, or that I’d said I had something else to do, or…the list goes on and on.  
  
“And no matter what, no one would ever remember…” Kenny allowed his eyes to fall closed for a moment as he inhaled deeply, before slowly turning to look back at the younger, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips once more, “Until you.”  
  
The look that Kenny was giving him; that soft, yet somehow intense, piercing gaze made Tweek’s heart skip a beat in his chest. It was a look that he’d never seen the other give before, something gentle yet powerful swimming deeply within those blue eyes. He couldn’t help but be captivated by it, unable to tear his own eyes away as the older boy continued to gaze at him with that look.  
  
Feeling a bit flustered by the sudden change, Tweek quickly tried to move the conversation forward by asking another question that had been on his mind, hoping that it would distract the other long enough for his steadily rising heartrate to settle.  
  
“But I don’t understand, I’ve never remembered any of this before, so…why now?”  
  
“I was wondering about that myself, actually,” Kenny glanced down for a moment as he thought the question over, letting out a quiet humming sound before giving a small shrug, “Maybe it’s because you’ve seen death now, too.”  
  
“Seen…death?” Tweek repeated the words to himself as he tilted his head, taking a moment to process what the other had said before it finally seemed to click, “Oh, because of…the coffee shop, right?”  
  
He couldn’t help but grimace as he glanced down at the bandages on his arms, fingers running gently over the course fabric as he let out a small sigh; he didn’t really want to remember back to that night, his stomach dropping a bit at the mere thought of it.  
  
“Yeah, I think so,” Sensing his discomfort, Kenny slowly reached over and grasped Tweek’s hand within his own, hoping that the gesture would help to ease his troubled heart, “When I found you there, that night…you were barely hanging on. It was like I could feel you slipping away from me, and I was so terrified that I wasn’t going to make it in time. That you would be gone.”  
  
He turned to look at the younger fully at that, his tone growing a bit more serious as their eyes met, “You met death that night, Tweek, I’m sure of it. And, well…that sort of thing has been known to change someone. Open things up to them that otherwise wouldn’t be. Near-death experiences, and all that.”  
  
Tweek hummed thoughtfully for a moment as he nodded and stared down at nothing in particular, “So, this ability…do you know where it comes from?”  
  
“Not exactly,” Kenny glanced back over at that and shrugged, watching the other with a casual gaze, “I did a pretty decent amount of research in the past, just trying to gain any little bit of understanding that I could. Apparently there have been multiple cases of people like me throughout time all across the world, although most of the accounts I know of are pretty ancient in today’s standards.  
  
“Some people would call them angels, some demons…or sometimes just observers. There are different names for it in different cultures, but the one I saw the most often just referred to these people as Immortals.”  
  
“Immortals? As in…people who can’t die?” Tweek turned back to the older boy at that, a questioning light in his eyes as they looked at one another.  
  
“Exactly. Or, well, in my case I can die, it’s just never permanent,” Kenny shook his head after a moment of thought, an almost bitter smile coming to his lips, “It’s not so much the case now, but when I was younger it was almost like I was cursed to die over and over again. Murder, freak accidents, natural causes…there’s not really any type of death I can think of that I haven’t experienced at this point.  
  
“In the beginning I was always so pissed off about it, always asking myself, why me? Why was I the one who always had to endure all the bullshit, destined to die countless times with none of the people I cared about remembering it, or even trying to believe me if I tried to tell them. Which I get it, to any normal person this would all sound completely insane, but…it was always just so unfair, you know? I hated myself because of it, and for a while, I hated everyone else for never understanding…”  
  
He chuckled softly as their eyes met once more, his smile becoming much more genuine, “But then I turned that hatred into something else, something more...constructive, I guess. Because even though nothing I went through ever felt fair, I realized that the one good thing to come out of it all is that I was able to help people. I could protect the people that I loved with my life, without having to worry about leaving them behind for good. Once I realized this, that was when I really started getting into the whole ‘Mysterion’ thing.  
  
“Because this curse, or ability, or whatever you want to call it, it gave me something that no one else had. Made me understand how important it was that I stick around,” His gaze softened once more as he looked into the curious, attentive blue eyes before him, “Made it possible for me to protect you, and still be able to sit by your side today. And that, well…that’s invaluable to me.”  
  
They simply gazed at one another for several long, quiet moments, the air around them much lighter and the silence offering a strange sort of comfort. Tweek’s chest felt warm at the words, a soft sigh leaving his lips as he brought one of his hands to rest atop Kenny’s own.  
  
“I’m sorry that…you’ve had to deal with this on your own for so long,” He spoke softly as he looked at the older boy with gentle eyes, a small smile coming to his own lips, “But you’re not alone anymore, and…even if I still don’t really understand how any of this happened or why, I’m glad that I can be here to try and help you through it. I don’t really know what I can do, but…”  
  
“You’ve already done more than you could possibly imagine…”  
  
Kenny slowly leaned over to wrap his arms around the younger and pull him into a close, warm embrace. The feeling of Tweek pressed securely against his chest made his heart feel contented; he brought one of his hands up to run his finger’s loosely through the other’s hair, his nose coming to rest in the crook of his neck as they held one another.

  
“…I love you, Tweek.”  
  
The words were spoken so softly, that it took him a few moments to register what the other had actually said; and even then he doubted his own ears, those words echoing through his mind as he wondered briefly if maybe he’d misheard.  
  
But in truth, he knew that that wasn’t the case. He supposed that…maybe he’d already known for a long time.  
  
His eyes widened a bit as the meaning sunk in, lips parted wordlessly as he couldn’t help but to tense up in his spot. Hearing those words from Kenny…it brought him a feeling that he wasn’t sure he could even begin to describe. It was as if his heart had stopped in his chest, and it felt as if everything around him had become frozen in place, just as he was.  
  
It made him feel…happy. And that alone was conflicting enough.  
  
“You don’t have to say anything…I don’t need an answer right now,” Slowly Kenny pulled back just a bit, his hands coming to cup the other’s face within them as he gave a sweet, understanding smile, “I just really needed to tell you that. You mean so much to me, Tweek, and I…well, if you’ll have me, I want to continue to stay by your side for the rest of my life, or until the day you tell me you don’t want me there anymore. You and Craig both.”  
  
“You know I could never tell you that…” Tweek couldn’t help but smile in return at the comment, the genuineness of the other’s words touching deeply into his heart and making him tear up a bit. He quickly reached up to rub at his eyes with the back of his arm, chuckling softly at the concerned look Kenny was now giving him.  
  
“I-I’m fine, it’s just…been feeling a lot more emotional lately, I guess. You didn’t say anything wrong,” They separated fully at that, and Tweek watched as Kenny let out a relieved-sounding sigh, the smile returning to his features a second later.  
  
“Good. The last thing I want is to upset you or make you feel pressured or anything, I just…really feel like I needed to tell you. I’m glad I finally got up the courage to.”  
  
The soft knock that came at the door drew both of their attentions, each of them looking over just in time to see Craig making his way inside and shutting the door quietly behind him. He smiled when he saw them sitting there, walking over after a moment and stopping in front of them.  
  
“See, I told you he was okay,” His gaze grew gentle as he looked down at Tweek, smile turning a bit guilty as he brought his hands to rest on the other’s forearms, “I’m sorry I had to rush out like that…are you feeling any better?”  
  
Tweek took one quick, sideward glance at Kenny before looking up at the boy before him and nodding, “Much better.” He offered a smile in return as he pulled himself to his feet and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s torso, resting his head on his chest as he hugged him softly, “Thank you, Craig…”  
  
“I’m glad you’re doing better,” The noirette returned the embrace before pulling back and pressing a sweet kiss to the other’s lips, turning his attention to Kenny a moment later, “Thanks again for coming on such short notice, I really appreciate it.”  
  
“Hey, no need to thank me,” Kenny shrugged and grinned as he stood up as well, stepping between the two of them a slight bit to put an arm around each of their shoulders as he looked back and forth between them, “Any time you guys need me, no matter what it’s about, all you need to do is ask. And I promise you, I will always be there.”


	59. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope you're all doing well! Boy oh boy has this chapter been a long time coming. I'm sure we're all ready to see our boy get some much needed normalcy back into his life, right? 
> 
> Also, I didn't even realize until today, but I've apparently been writing this fic for over a year now? That's so crazy to think about, because this is by far the longest I've ever worked on something like this. So I just want to take a moment to thank you all again for being such wonderful, supportive readers. To those of you who may be newer or just jumping in, thanks for deciding to come along for the ride. And for those of you who have been around since the beginning, thanks for continuing to stick around. You're all amazing and I love you <3
> 
> SLATS~

The next few weeks came and went pretty uneventfully. At first, dealing with the withdrawal from the complete flush of his system was more difficult for Tweek than he would have liked to admit. He couldn’t really sleep, he was plagued with near constant headaches and mood swings; at some points he wouldn’t be able to stomach food at all for a couple of days, and at others it was like he could ingest an entire weeks-worth of food in a couple of hours.

The hospital had originally wanted to send him to a rehabilitation center when his symptoms started to worsen, but he refused. Partly because he didn’t want to be sent away for god knows how long, and partly because he felt like he needed to kick this thing on his own. Kenny and Craig had initially tried to convince him to go as well, but he continued to be adamant about it, and finally they came to understand.

Without a proper schedule to help set him back on track, though, there were times for Tweek when things got pretty difficult. They didn’t last long, but when those times _did_ come, they were intense enough to make him feel as though he were trapped in a living hell; like no matter how hard he tried to stop it, his body would only continue to keep fighting against him.

He had always known in the back of his mind how serious an issue addiction was, mostly from everything he’d been taught in school or learned on his own over the years, but…even with all of that knowledge, nothing could have prepared him for the troubles of actually dealing with it personally.

Craig and Kenny visited him daily, sometimes staying with him for extended periods of time whenever he was having a particularly rough episode. They usually came together, but due to scheduling conflicts sometimes only one of them would be able to make it at a time; even with this though, they tried their best to make it their top priority that Tweek would never be alone for too long.

He needed all the support he could get, after all.

None of them were really sure how exactly it had happened, but eventually word got around the school that Tweek was in the hospital. It was never explicitly said why, just that he was there for an extended stay due to some “serious health issue.”

But even though no one ever said anything or brought it up, he was pretty sure that they all knew. Everyone had heard about what had happened to his parents, after all, and well…for most of them, it was pretty easy to put two and two together after that.

Once it had gotten around to everyone, Tweek was surprised at how many people came to visit him while he was there. Jimmy would come to chat occasionally, always trying his best to make the blonde smile and laugh during his visits. Token and Clyde came a couple of times with their handhelds, so the three of them could relax and play games for a bit. Kyle dropped by pretty often to keep him up to date on anything interesting that was going on around town, and to fill him in on anything important he’d missed at school.

Bebe and Wendy had come by once or twice to bring him flowers and small little gifts to help brighten up his day when they heard he was feeling especially down. Even Eric had stopped by to see him, and although their conversation was pretty short lived, the other had actually expressed gratitude to him and offered to help him in whatever ways he needed; in as few words as the brunette could muster without putting down his walls _too_ much, of course.

The overwhelming amount of support Tweek got was astounding to him. He never really realized how much he was cared for by the others in town, but seeing them all come together to help him through such a terrible time in his life really changed his perspective on things. It was nice, getting to see how much he really meant to them, something he never would have even stopped to consider before.

Knowing that there were so many people out there that genuinely were concerned for him and wanted him to get better…that thought alone helped Tweek pull himself through even some of his darkest moments. It was the first time he was really able to look at his situation objectively, without his parents’ abusive influence or the clouding effects of the drugs, and he came to realize just how twisted and distorted his perception of himself and his place in others lives had come to be.

He came to realize that he _was_ important to people. He _was_ worth the care and attention that others were giving him, he _wasn’t_ just some burden on the lives of everyone he met.

He also came to realize that he was worth _way more_ than he’d always been brought up to think he was.

And with his newfound support system, and of course with the help of the medical staff, finally Tweek was granted approval to be released from the hospital’s supervision. This came with some conditions though, of course; he needed to go to counseling sessions two times a week, with a therapist who specialized in toxic family relations and drug rehabilitation. He was also required to come back to the hospital for check-ups and to monitor his progress bi-weekly.

The option of a rehabilitation center was always left on the table, just in-case he felt things were becoming too difficult for him to handle on his own, or if he were to have a serious relapse of some sort. But in Tweek’s mind, he knew that he could fight this; but more than that, it was almost like he had to. This was just something he needed to do for himself, something that he knew other people wouldn’t really be able to understand.

It was almost like in his head, if he _did_ decide to go to rehab, his parents were winning over him somehow. This mindset was something that he’d discussed with his therapist a couple of times, because he knew in the back of his mind that it wasn’t really a healthy one. But even so, he just didn’t feel that he _needed_ the sort of rehabilitation that a center could offer him.

And after the first week of being out and on his own again, this mindset actually proved to be correct, much to the surprise of the doctors who had been supervising him. Now that he was free from the debilitating thoughts that would constantly cripple his mind and leave him doubting himself to no end, Tweek found his willpower to be much stronger than he ever would have thought it could be.

But then again, he wasn’t handling this fight on his own, either; he had loved ones by his side to help him face and defeat his demons, people who wanted to see him heal and prosper. That sort of strength was more powerful than anything he could have learned elsewhere.

That didn’t meant that he didn’t have his bad days, or that he still didn’t struggle with self-deprecating thoughts and anxieties, though; these were things that had basically been instilled into him ever since he was born, so it wasn’t as if there was some magical cure that would make them vanish into thin air. He knew that these were issues he would likely struggle with for the rest of his life.

But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t get better.

And that thought alone was enough to keep him from giving up, or being too hard on himself when his thoughts went into a particularly dark place. He _knew_ that he had other people he could reach out to now, and it took a bit of effort, but he got to a place where he wasn’t constantly afraid to anymore.

 

When he’d first gotten out of the hospital, Tweek didn’t want to step foot in his house. It was completely understandable after all…that place was riddled with bad memories, and he feared that going back there would stunt his recovery in some way.

So when Craig’s family had opened their door and their arms so graciously to him, Tweek couldn’t help but feel indebted. The Tuckers had always been very kind to him and made him feel welcome in their home, but staying with them really made him feel as if he were a part of the family. And being able to stay with Craig every day made him feel safe, helped to take his mind off of everything that had happened to him.

Helped to get some much needed normalcy back into his life.

One of the first decisions Tweek made after he got settled in was to sell the coffee shop. He played around with the idea of redoing the building for a bit, starting things from the ground up, but…he just couldn’t bring himself to go back there, either. Not after everything that had happened.

All the repainting and redecorating in the world couldn’t salvage that place in his heart. So after some careful deliberation, he decided to sell it outright, take the weight off of his shoulders completely. After all, the deed was legally his now; he could do whatever he wanted with it.

He had to admit that he was a bit worried if the place would sell at all at first, due to the recent discovery that it had been the center of a meth ring, but surprisingly this didn’t seem to matter much to potential buyers. It was a good location that had gotten a lot of traffic while it was open, both from locals and out-of-towners who would happen to visit or drive through on occasion, so it was actually snatched up pretty quickly once it was put on the market.

And just as one final “fuck you” to his parents, Tweek sold it to a rival coffee competitor; one who was much bigger and more influential than the locally owned, family place it used to be. He couldn’t help but smile to himself when he’d signed off on the sale, because he knew deep in his heart that his dad would have _hated_ him for it.

The small victories were the ones that really mattered, after all.

And for a bit, life continued on as if nothing had ever happened. Things felt ordinary, good…the way they were supposed to, Tweek assumed. But once he truly began to recover and look at things objectively, he realized that he couldn’t push his past under the rug forever. In order to truly move on from it, he knew that he would have to face things head on, confront them.

But this was one time when he didn’t want to rely on the help of others to get him through his problems. He wanted to overcome them on his own.

* * *

 

“Are you…sure about this?”

This was about the tenth time Craig had asked this question, his continued attempts to hide his concern growing less convincing as the minutes ticked by. From the look in his eyes, it was pretty clear that he knew his efforts were in vain, but…he had to be sure.

“You know you can come with us, right? My parents already said that they wouldn’t—”

“Craig,” Tweek’s voice was soft as he cupped his boyfriend’s face between his hands, eyes gentle as he gazed into the worried greens before him, “I’ll be okay, I promise. I know what’s going through your head right now, and I don’t blame you at all for it. But this…this is just something that I need to do.”

“I know, but…a-are you sure you don’t want to wait? You know, until I get back?” The way the noirette’s voice shook ever so slightly as he asked that question made Tweek’s chest tighten, a deep breath leaving him as he looked back and forth between the green eyes before him.

The raw anxiety and fear he saw housed within them made his heart ache with guilt, mainly because he knew that he was the one to put them there. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen Craig look this vulnerable before, the ideas plaguing his thoughts currently written all over his face.

“ _I promise you,_ Craig…nothing bad is going to happen,” Even though Tweek knew in his heart that the words he was saying were true, he didn’t know how to convey this in a way that would ease his boyfriend’s worries. It was times like this that really made the younger appreciate what Craig would go through to try to help him through his own anxieties.

“I know that it’s hard for you to believe that, after what happened…and I know it’s probably hard for you to understand my decision too, but…” Tweek glanced off to the side for a moment as he let out a small sigh, allowing his hands to drop back into his lap, “This is just something I need to do on my own. I know that you want to help, and I _need_ you to know that I’m really grateful for that, it’s just…I have to face this by myself. I need to prove to myself that I’m strong enough to do it.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as they simply looked at one another for a moment, Craig’s eyes darting back and forth between Tweek’s own as if searching for something within them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a deep, contemplative sigh, and only then did his fearful gaze start to soften.

“I understand. And I really don’t want you to think that I don’t trust you or anything, I just…” The noirette trailed off with a long pause as if trying to find the right words, his voice coming out much softer as he reached forward to grasp Tweek’s hands within his own, “I don’t want to get another call…especially when I’m so far away, and for so long, and…I know that I’m probably worrying over nothing, but it’s hard for me to really get that through my head. I just keep thinking back to how helpless I felt that night, and how _terrified_ I was.

“But…I _do_ trust you. And I _know_ that you can do this on your own. I just...want to make sure you’re safe.”

“I know you do,” The words came out as a whisper, the two of them staring deeply into one another’s eyes as Tweek offered a small, reassuring smile, “And I can’t thank you enough for that. I want to be able to prove to you that I’m okay, that you don’t need to worry about me so much. And, well…like I said, I need to prove to myself that I can handle things on my own. That I don’t always have to rely on you so much, because…I know that’s not really fair to you.”

“But you know I don’t—”

Tweek captured Craig’s lips with his own at that, stopping him before he could finish the thought as he kissed him sweetly. His fingers trailed lightly along the back of the older boy’s neck, coming up to curl into his soft black locks as he leaned in further and poured everything he was currently feeling into the exchange.

Soon Craig’s arms came to wrap around his waist, hands resting on his lower back as they kissed passionately, Tweek eagerly accepting all of the emotions the older boy had to give in return.

They broke apart for only a moment as their foreheads pressed together, hot breath mingling as Tweek whispered these simple, yet powerful words against the other’s lips:

“I know.”

 

That night, they stayed entangled with one another in fits of passion, clinging to each other as if they were afraid the other would disappear the second they were to let go. Everything they felt, all of their fears and worries, their unaltered love for one another came completely unhinged as their bodies moved together, unable to focus on anything but the powerful touch of their skin as they gave themselves over completely.

Tired and blissful, they lay together as the sun began to rise, its warm rays spilling in from the window to caress their bare, glistening skin. Tweek lay with his head against the other’s chest, an arm draped lovingly over his waist as he listened to the soft sound of Craig’s heart beating beneath him.

For the longest time they said nothing, simply basking in a comforting silence as they embraced one another. Craig was the first to speak, the running of his fingers through Tweek’s hair coming to a stop as he finally said the words resting heavy on his heart.

“Promise me you’ll still be here.”

It was a simple phrase, spoken quietly as the soft sound of chirping birds began filling the still space around them. The meaning of those words buried themselves deeply within Tweek’s own heart, his eyes falling closed as he allowed their significance to settle on him.

Slowly reaching over, he grasped Craig’s free hand within his own; their fingers laced together perfectly, as if made for one another. A soft smile came to his lips as he lay there, a feeling of complete contentment washing over him for the first time since this whole thing had begun.

And in that moment, Tweek knew beyond any doubts in his mind that the words he was saying were true. That he didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't realize until I went to post this that Tweek has literally been in the hospital for the last 21 chapters. This poor boy, I'm so sorry bby you can go home now.
> 
> (#FreeTweek2k19)


End file.
